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DIY Ball Lightning
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From: ntesla-at-ntesla.csd.sc.edu [SMTP:ntesla-at-ntesla.csd.sc.edu]
Sent: Friday, April 03, 1998 4:30 AM
To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: DIY Ball Lightning
>----------
>From: Malcolm Watts [SMTP:MALCOLM-at-directorate.wnp.ac.nz]
>Sent: Thursday, April 02, 1998 4:00 PM
>To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
>Subject: Re: DIY Ball Lightning
>
>Hi all,
> Below is a snip from a message sent to me by Ken Corum as
>part of a 1 - 1 conversation we had some months ago. The coil he
>refers is running at something above 5kVA (continuous transformer
>rating). I never did get the exact figure but it is more likely to be
>10kVA based on list member's results. It was claimed to be capable of
>producing 15' streamers. A carnonaceous discharge point on the
>terminal is a vital ingredient. Refer to the ITS Symposium Notes circa
>1990 for more references.
>
>Malcolm
>
> ------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
>
><snip>
>The power nescesary to produce fireballs is not very high. We have seen
>fireballs from small table top machines operating around 200-300 watts. The
>power levels will determine the size and lifetimes of the fireballs. At 200
>watts or so, the fireballs will be points of bright light out towards the
tips
>of the streamers. Running the coil mentioned in the previous emails, will
>produce fireballs 1 to 2 cm in size. The key is "lots of ozone and lots of
>carbon" and the long thin wispy sparks. The thick bright discharges do not
>produce fireballs. So, backing off on the power sometimes produces better
>results.
>
>
>Hope this answers your questions.
>
>Ken Corum
That's interesting. So from where did Tesla's carbon originate? Carbon from
wooden forms? That seems likely as I seem to recall Tesla writing that the
"fireballs" would destroy the coil. I have a few boxes of arc-lamp
copper-clad carbons....I think I'll give this a try soon. :)
Dan