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And what of the FCC?




From: 	richard hull[SMTP:rhull-at-richmond.infi-dot-net]
Sent: 	Tuesday, September 23, 1997 5:44 PM
To: 	Tesla List
Subject: 	Re: And what of the FCC?

At 06:01 PM 9/23/97 -0500, you wrote:
>
>From: 	Greg Leyh[SMTP:lod-at-pacbell-dot-net]
>Sent: 	Tuesday, September 23, 1997 6:35 AM
>To: 	tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
>Subject: 	And what of the FCC?
>
>Hi All,
>
>
>Nowadays, I am finding myself increasingly concerned with
>the 'political' issues of operating TC's, and wondered if
>anyone has heard anything new on these topics:
> 
>Has an operator of a TC ever actually been prosecuted for
>violating FCC regs?
>
>Does anyone know of a precedent where the FCC has granted
>a variance for a device that produces spurious emissions?
>
>Are there any other govm't agencies that would care about
>the various side effects of operating a coil?
>
>
>-GL
>
>
>Greg,

I have had my ear to the ground for years and have never even heard a tale
or yarn spun where a Tesla coiler was hasseled by the FCC.  In a community
that loves to spin yarns, I find this amazing but "non-heresay" evidence
that it probably hasn't happened.  I did read (I think it was in one of the
popular electronics mags a few years back that the FCC would no longer
investigate simple, individual complaints about RFI.  They would investigate
continued chronic cases reported which affected wide area RFI though.

I have never heard of a variance being issued except to military
installations.  We had one when I was in the Air Farce which effectively
gave us carte blanc in matters of RF sewage.  I would be really amazed at
any government agency caring enough or understanding enough to investigate,
weigh, and consider a private individual's pleas to violate their major
regulatory laws.

I would imagine only the military would mind other than the FCC if some of
their ELF and VLF com traffic is screwed with.  Their most sensitive stuff
goes out this way.  This is the one thing that has always bugged me the
most.  The FAA operates a lot of VLF beacons near airports, but they are
being phased out. 

Finally, no good coil throws out much RF even in the multi-KW class.  Tesla
noted this and I have actually checked it out with VLF receivers in a car.
The classic one is Nemesis.  I operated Nemesis one time at 14KW and had
Bill Richards of our group on the phone just before firing and had him tune
around with a navy submarine quad conversion VLF receiver to the exact, and
harmonic frequencies of Nemesis.  He lived 10 miles away.  He had a nice
long wire (200 footer).  The tone of the gap would be the dead giveaway.  He
heard- zippo.
14 kw of resonant energy and not even 10 miles.  Any half assed CB'er with 5
watts into a coat hanger could span that.  Tesla coils when working well
aren't RF generators....They are RF sinks!!!

Richard Hull, TCBOR
>