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Re: Arc Transmitter



Subject:  Re: Arc Transmitter
  Date:   Sat, 10 May 1997 21:48:20 -0700
  From:   "Norman F. Stanley" <nfs-at-midcoast-dot-com>
    To:    Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>


At 08:36 AM 5/10/97 -0500, you wrote:
>Subject:  Arc Transmitter
>  Date:   Fri, 09 May 1997 20:58:25 -0700
>  From:   Gary Weaver <gweaver-at-earthlink-dot-net>
>    To:   tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
>
>
>Has anyone every heard of an arc transmitter?  An artical says, 
>in the early days of radio they used high voltage arc transmitters. 
>An arc transmitter transmits on a very wide band of frequencies.  
>What is an arc transmitter? Could it be something like a modulated 
>Tesla Coil?  Or is it CW only?  This makes me wonder if a Tesla 
>Coil can be modulated?  What if you modulate the 120 VAC line into
>the neon transformer?  What if you modulate a 3rd coil on the 
>ground end of the secondary coil?  What if you modulate a TC with 
>a carrier frequency and voice?  Has anyone ever tried to use a 
>Tesla Coil as a transmitter? 
> 
>Gary Weaver
>

This was known as the "singing arc" and, as I recall, consisted of a
carbon
arc and tank circuit.  With the arc operating in air it was limited to
audio frequencies, hence the name.  By enclosing the arc in a hydrogen
or
gaseous hydrocarbon atmosphere the frequency could be extended into the
long wave radio spectrum, and I believe this was used in commercial CW
transmitters way back when.  An brief item in the Q&A column in one of
the
Gernsback magazines, "Everyday Science and Mechanics", back in the
thirties
showed a practical circuit.  I happen to have a complete file of that
publication, and will see if I can locate the circuit for you.

Norm