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Output Voltages
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From: richard hull [SMTP:rhull-at-richmond.infi-dot-net]
Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 1998 6:56 PM
To: Tesla List
Subject: Re: Output Voltages
At 02:28 PM 2/3/98 -0600, you wrote:
>
>----------
>From: Malcolm Watts [SMTP:MALCOLM-at-directorate.wnp.ac.nz]
>Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 1998 3:05 PM
>To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
>Subject: Output Voltages
>
>Greetings All,
> Based on the various measurements, ideas and
>theories that have been espoused, I would be most interested in
>knowing what kind of consensus list members arrive at in determining
>just how high a voltage Tesla really reached in his CS magnifier
>system. Given that figures for lightning quoted from various sources
>suggest around 30MV typically, could Tesla ever have reached 10MV?
>
>Interested,
>Malcolm
>
Malcolm,
I am positive that Tesla like most coilers just blurted out a figure! This
was of course based on some pet idea theory or rule of thumb. I am also
equally convinced that the lightning source voltages were extrapolated from
local measurement field data or worse still some assumptive rule of thumb.
Air in the wild is funny stuff and lightning doesn't move in one bolt, but
many steps, probably each boosted by their own local gradients, triggered by
the leaders from above.
I am convinced that ultra long natural DC air arcs (lightning)are never
evenly and uniformly formed fields from origin to ground. Energy for
stepping the arc down from on high occurs in fortuitous short paths due to
local fields. Only when the arc forms (following step leader connection)
does the "origin to ground field" snap to uniformity with rigid, calculable
gradients.
This is verified by many survivors of near misses. (I have really boned up
on this particular aspect of lightning - even interviewed a few folks
personally). All witnesses tend to give a similar event order. 1st a small
but distinct click is heard. Often as sounding like a twig snaping. (stepped
leader rocketing upward to meet a down coming leader) Almost instantly, a
huge static gradient is established (hair on arms, body and face bristle to
attention) This is the now uniform but locally intense field gradient
forming along the channel. Instantly this is followed by a very near and
deafening power stroke.
There is potential difference always between origin and ground, but it is
really choppy and very broken field wise. Some still totally unknown and
often guessed at mechanism starts the process.
The Tesla coil spark is so short and the fields fairly well established.
Still, We just guess and even when we measure, we are just sampling average
conditions for the most part.
I have used special antennaed electrometers to monitor storm and air
electrical gradients. I can definitely state that a distant lightning
stroke sucks juice from the local environment to feed the huge distant
gradients. The local gradient in a receeding or approaching storm will rise
slowly and then leap to a quick peak (charging of the local air) This peak
can be as high as several thousand volts/meter! At the instant of the stroke
two miles away, the local gradient will instantly drop to a perfect zero! A
stroke feeds on a lot of surrounding charged air.
Richard Hull, TCBOR