Spark gap problems aside

["David Dean" <deano-at-corridor-dot-net> (by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>)]

Hi everyone

It seems I will not be able to do any more experiments with my newer SRSG
for a while unless I make another set of electrodes. My friend David
McKinzey (the guy who made the video of my coil and made the still shots
that I have on my web site) came by Wed. night to advise me of a possible
opening comming up at the company he works for and to see if I might be
interested. _YES_! (They do product development. That means they invent for
a living. Lots of fun stuff.) He told me he had shown the video to a fellow
he knows who is involved in some kind of research with some kind of polymer.
They are making some kind of batteries that are supposedly self charging. I
don't know about that, I tend to think that you can't get something for
nothing, but D.M. took my electrodes to be coated by this stuff.

He (D.M.) has been telling me about this stuff for a couple of years now,
and about how Albert, D.M.s boss, was skeptical so they hooked a fly back up
to a syringe and let it arc. The syringe was burned up quickly. The arc was
all over the place and generated a lot of heat. Then another syringe the tip
of which had been dipped in the "polymer" was used. This time the syringe
did not burn up. The arc was steady, cool, and blue. The guy who makes the
polymer says it is just the ticket for reducing losses in the spark gap. He
volunteered to coat my electrodes so I can test it out. I let Mr. McKinzey
take the electrodes, I don't know when I'll get them back though, as this
fellow lives about a 150 miles from here and D.M. will have to drive over
there on a weekend.

I suppose I'll have to replicate the electrodes so as to have a set that
will make a fair comparison. Of course I want to make a set with some
tungsten electrodes, as that is something I know will work, but the 1/8"
rods available from the local welding supply are not up to the power levels
I am getting into these days. They would burn up quickly enough on my
previous SRSG while running at 1.2 to 1.5 KVA. It seems there are a number
of places on the web that show to have 3/8 tungsten rod available, but
either they do not respond to my inquiries or the don't stock the stuff, it
is special order, minimum 50 pcs, and very expensive. I seem to recall
someone on the list having available some tungsten electrodes 1/2" in
diameter with a 3/6 16 stud, or to fit on a 3/8 16 stud, but have not been
able to find anything in my archives (about 11 months of posts from this
list) or in the archives at pupman. I suppose I just have not found the
right combination of keywords. Anyway, I was wondering If anyone might know
who it was and perhaps if they still do and how to get in contact. I would
be most appreciative.

Of course, I will post any results of the "polymer" experiments as soon as
there are any.

later
deano