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Re: Splitting & Tank


Gentlemen:

        On Oct. 11th the esteemed and august contributor
        Mr. Richard Quick very uncharacteristically (and possibly un-
        wittingly) sullied the name of Dr. Tesla in a post to the list.

        In private e-mail I properly castigated Mr. Quick for this
        absence of due.  Mr. Quick responded by posting a query directly
        to this list dated Oct. 31st in which he publicly asks me
        what in blue blazes (or discharges) I'm so perturbed about.

                For Everyone'e Information, Mr. Quick had printed
                a diagram here (in ASCII characters) showing a coil
                with the bottom of the primary directly connected
                to the bottom of the secondary.  He called it a
                Tesla Coil.

        This is my reply.

RM>> Howsoeverbethatasitmay, as a life-long student of Dr. Tesla
RM>> I respectfully submit that you are wrong in this instance.
RM>> Your error would irk Dr. Tesla grievously and it irks those
RM>> of us who are serious students of Dr. Tesla.

RQ>I fear not. The exact circuit you are referring to was taken from
RQ>page 154 of: THE COLORADO SPRINGS NOTES, 1899-1900 By Nikola
RQ>Tesla... Hardcover, 440pp, Published by NOLIT, Beograd,
[ ... ]

RQ>With all due respects, what is your point? Are you saying the Tesla
RQ>did not thoroughly examine every possible configuration for the
RQ>helical resonator and driving oscillator he invented? If so I can
[ ... ]

RQ>my point: what is yours?

        It's this:  Tho Dr. Tesla was a brilliant and distinguished
        engineer, inventor, and visionary, he was a lousy businessman.
        By failing to capitalize on most of his discoveries, he
        opened the door for the unscrupulous to move in and
        exploit his work.

                How a man could do the mathematics for polyphase
                ac induction motors, transformers, generators and
                distribution systems =in his head= but be unable to keep
                simple accounts or follow a business plan is beyond
                my ken.

        The most blatant and scurrilous instance of such theft occurred
        with the circuit Mr. Quick depicted and to which I objected.

                The thief seemed to think that by making a coil with
                the common bottom connection (and some other minor
                alterations) he had circumvented Dr. Tesla's brilliant
                discoveries and proprietary rights.

        The circuit in question was manufactured and sold in great
        quantities (mostly for laboratory testing and medical quackery)
        = and continues to be sold= to this very date.

        When Dr. Tesla learned of this theft he was devastated.  He
        disavowed any connection with the commercial devices and had
        his name removed from any association therewith.  (The modern
        commercial product is =very rarely= described in the course of
        trade as a "Tesla Coil").

                Why he didn't go full bore and defend his patents
                we'll never know, but he didn't.

        So -- I wrote to Mr. Quick:--

RM>> The point of this post is to protest, please, in very strong
RM>> terms the implication that such a circuit is a Tesla Coil.
RM>> It is not.  Dr. Tesla would be especially peeved to see it
RM>> characterized as such.

        I did not say, everyone, that Dr. Tesla never laid eye, hand,
        or thought to such a circuit.  Only that such circuits ought
        not to be called Tesla Coils, and, out of respect ought not
        to be discussed in the same breath (or mailing list) with
        such -- per, I do believe, Dr. Tesla's own wishes.

                        - - - - - - - -

        While I have your rapt and unwavering attention, dear people,
        permit me to confess:  I =am indeed= something of a purist.
        This business of using modern materials, tools, and instru-
        ments to construct high-voltage resonant circuits is -- is --
        well -- it's =fascinating= !   But, is it Tesla??

        Constructing any circuit, using any materials, devising any
        technique - just so long as it has a resonant transformer
        and produces a long(er), thick(er) spark  (how phallic!) is
        New Age Tesla-ing (as I call it). It's okay as far as it goes,

(Continued to next message)