Re: Tesla Coil RF Transmitter

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "Gary Peterson" <gary@xxxxxxxxxxxx>


> Original poster: Ed Phillips <evp@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Original poster: "Chuck Hobson" <g0mdk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > > Original poster: "Dan" <DUllfig@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>

> > > . . . end of a tesla coil? answer: the ground plate! Tesla was 
> > > transmitting energy by pumping a charge into the ground itself. . 
> > > . . he was trying to keep RF losses to a minimum.  He would 
> > > usually say that his coils dissipated about 10% energy in RF, and 
> > > 90% energy through the ground. . . . The coil, all by itself, 
> > > without an antenna, will transmit if it is properly grounded.
> > >
> > > Dan

> > That's true about a properly grounded Tesla Coil Dan, but the 
> > Effective Radiated Power (ERP) would still be miniscule, probably 
> > undetectable (electromagnetic waves) beyond about 500 to 1000m 
> > distance I would think. It would be interesting to know if anyone 
> > has tried detecting Tesla Coil signals with a good communications receiver.
> >  Chuck

> There is no way his configuration could have behaved other than as a 
> transmitter with a short top-loaded antenna.  The circuit is clearly 
> shown over and over again in his patents.  I'll agree that the 
> radiated power would have been low because it's a lousy design for 
> transmitting but that's all it could do. . . .
>
> Ed

I think we can all agree that a grounded Tesla coil without a 
Marconi-type antenna is a poor source of radio waves, i.e., 
electromagnetic waves that have closed back upon themselves and are 
no longer associated with the antenna.

In my mind the questions to be answered are these:

1) Is a well-grounded non-sparking toploaded Tesla coil operated in a 
CW mode at, say, 35 kHz capable of producing locally a periodic 
disturbance in the earth's electrical charge?

2) If so, at what distance from the TC transmitter can the electrical 
disturbance be detected using a receiving transformer of similar size?

3) If the disturbance can be detected at a multiple wavelength 
distance from the launching structure, does this distance increase 
with an increase in transmitter power?

4) If the transmission-reception distance does, in fact, increase 
with an increase in transmitter power, what is the mathematical 
relationship between the two?

Gary