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Truth vs fantasy vs the moderator



Chris and All,

Admittedly, posting of the original comments was not the moderator's finest
hour...  The Avalon project is BIG and it is causing new and interesting
moderation challenges.  There are people out there who have serious
concerns that this project will not happen.  Often, they sight technical
oversights and concerns (obviously on topic) mixed with a certain dislike
for Chris, his methods, and unique style of doing things (obviously off
topic and nearing the flame category).  

Normally, I let things go there own way to a point and 99 percent of the
time no Draconian moderation is needed.  However, I guess I need to get
rather strict on the Avalon project since the problems are not going away.

So, I will only except posts on the Avalon project that are concerned with
the project as a Tesla coil.  Funding, finding buildings, removing "Bill",
and other general project and construction details that are common large
project concerns, but have nothing to do with Tesla coils, we will leave up
to Chris and they will not be discussed on the Tesla list.

Basically, the Tesla list is a forum for Tesla coil building and not trying
to manage the details of giant projects.

Some us use don't think "Chris" can do it.  I have let a few of these
personal concerns slip by because they were well meant and I know Chris
understands them.  However, I now will reject 100% of posts that target
"Chris" as a problem and not the real technical details at hand.

So I ask (I guess I will now insure) that posts about the Avalon project
stay focused on the project as a Tesla coil.  Funding, staffing, buildings,
etc. are not the list's concern.  "Chris's" ability to manage and bring the
project into being is also not a concern of the Tesla list.

The following would not normally go to the list but since "I" messed up, I
will let Chris respond.

	Terry


==================================
"Christopher Boden" <chrisboden-at-hotmail-dot-com> (by way of Terry Fritz
<twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>)

Terry...catch this, I don't know how the original made it to the list, but 
the reply should as well. If not, I understand.

Comments interspersed, with a taste of Arsenic....

>Original Poster: "Mark Finnis" <mefinnis-at-medicine.adelaide.edu.au>
>
>Hi All
>
>At 10:19 15/03/2000 -0800, Scott wrote:
>

> >Here Mr. Boden again references the "(Positronic) drive prototype", and 
>the
> >"$72,000 damage estimate" that it suffered in the "accident",
> >"4 years of design and construction",  "getting the (plasma) nozzles
> >right", etc, etc.
> >
> >Pathological liar or psychological basket case?
>

I'll give you 2:1 odds on basket case, though it depends on who you ask.

This is in referance to a idea we had for a 90's version of one of Tesla's 
other inventions, the Tesla Turbine. We have an idea to make one powered off 
of plasma instead of water. Though as yet we have not been able to make it 
work, even poorly because 1) We can't get enough power to make it spin 2)We 
can't get the nozzles (electrodes) right.

We spent over 4 years tinkering with the idea, build a few prototypes, 
includeing one with 14" runners, and had the last one (the 14") in the back 
of Geek3 (it was NOT hooked up and Scott likes to think, it was still 
sitting there because it's heavy and I hadn't lifted it out yet) when we got 
hit by a drunk driver (blew a .24) on Nov-21-1999 at the corner of w.Main 
and Drake in Kalamazoo MI. fyi, I was on my way to Taco Bell.

We have NEVER said we had a working prototype. We spent years working on it 
because it's so simple and elegant we're SURE it can be done, but not by 
someone with our skills. We spent hundreds of hours in a machine shop and 
produced...nothing.

The project has been basically abandonded, it sits in the back of the lab, 
as a reminder. Every now and then I tinker with it, hopeing for some 
epiphanie, something so simple I overlooked it for years, that willl make it 
all worthwhile. Most likely we will pull the rotors off and turn it into a 
wickedly cool topload for Sam.

>There is just something unique about the mystique of Tesla which attracts
>all kinds of folks.

Yeah, he was a dreamer, a bit of a weirdo, and a snappy dresser. :) He 
actually believed he could make it rain with a big enough coil, he believed 
in himself, and though BIG. He wanted to change the world in a big way, to 
better the state of the art for mankinds benefit. He worked impossible hours 
to the point that it made him terribly ill.

Tesla was a Geek.

>
>I, like you, suspect it is 99.9% BS but just every now and again one of
>these "BS-artists" manages by complete chance to push the right button of a
>major corporate sponsor.
>

Right now Avalon is BS. Look at it. It's all a matter of perspective. From 
your perspective it's a pipe dream and a waste of bandwidth. From Jim's it's 
a interesting thought experiment and a source of valuable research in the 
art of extreme coiling. From the view of me and my team, it's the beggining 
of the largest Geek Group project to date and our attempt at a world record.

>I suspect the real costs for a 250kVA coil would be well over $US1M, and
>the design/construction time would be around 2-3 years.

Cost is relative to time. You can restore a 83 DeLorean for $30,000 in 2 
weeks. Or for $200 and a lot of scroungeing over 7 years.
I'm not in any hurry. The coil will cost about $250K, there is no reason for 
it to cost appreciably more with the creative application of sponsorship. If 
done right, it will cost NOTHING and we will MAKE money on it.

If they found
>backing for this then I imagine the likes of Greg/Bill/etc (who might
>actually be able to build this) would be interested.


Though Guru's, Greg,Bill,Jeff,....etc Are NOT GODS...I hate to break it to 
you, sorry. They are incredibly good at what they do, and have earned their 
places of honor and respect. But all this is is a tuned circuit. I can teach 
a 12 year old to build a Tesla Coil. It's only a matter of scale and 
funding.

>
>Actually, if the Geeks were REALLY SERIOUS, they would be offering their
>site and chasing sponsorship for the following:
>
>          http://www.lod-dot-org/alf.html
>
>I think we would all concede that this will likely work ....... and I would
>pay the air-fare to see that !!!!
>
>Mark

I offered positions on the team to all the big dogs, guess what they said? I 
will do this. The Group will do this. And if need be. We will do it alone. 
If you want to help, you're welcome. If you want to complain, you're also 
welcome. But do it off list and don't waste bandwidth.

I expect to anger some people, big deal, I'm used to it. But if you want to 
hate me, just get your facts straight, I don't mind another person who 
loathes me, just understand WHY you loathe me. Other than the fact that I'm 
a 24 year old Cyberpunk who will accomplish more by 30 than you have in your 
whole life. Come with me and change the world, or sit down and shut up. I 
have work to do.

Terry, cut as you see fit. But I couldn't let that one fly by. I had to 
respond on list. I apologise, I want no flames on the list, and this is off 
topic.

Christopher A. Boden Geek#1
President / Founder
The Geek Group
www.geekgroup-dot-org
Because the Geek shall inherit the Earth!

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