RE: Boston Museum of Science Tesla coil safety

["boris petkovic" <petkovic7-at-yahoo-dot-com> (by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>)]

> I contacted the person who built and maintains the
> large Tesla Coil at the
> Boston Museum of Science, Tony DeAngelis, regarding
> the museum's experience
> with public display and liability relating to the
> coil.  The museum rounded
> up some true experts in the field of pacemakers and
> magnetic fields, and
> took actual measurements of the EM fields.  The
> bottom line was that the
> fields were determined to be perfectly safe for
> anyone.  The Faraday
> enclosure referenced is a small one-person cage for
> the operator of the
> equipment, located much closer to the coil, and is a
> target for the massive
> Van De Graaf  discharges.
> 
> Thank you Tony for agreeing to share this!
> 
> Regards, Gary Lau
> Waltham, MA USA
> 
> >From: Anthony DeAngelis 
> >
> >OK Gary, here is the real deal from the guy who
> >built the darn thing.  Worked long and hard to get
> the
> >big coil revamped and Up and running, and then
> >everything was put on hold.  Ken and Mike run the
> >eduaction dept.  Mike talked to the pacemaker
> mfr.and
> >he said there was no problem at all. Ken talked to
> >home cardiologist at Mass General Hospital who said
> >hed be sending him business in droves.. Now what?
> Well
> >the EPA, OSHA, and a few others all came up empty,
> >like I don't know.  This went on for almost a year
> and
> >then they got in touch with some super guru in the
> >magnet lab at MIT who was a true expert in
> >Electromagnetic fields.  He came in and took
> >measurements inside the lightning rod Faraday area,
> >and outside, where the public would be about 6
> weeks
> >later, then I got a call saying all the numbers
> show it
> >would be perfectly safe even to those with
> pacemakers
> >as long as they remain outside the wire enclosure. 
> I
> >have been inside while it runs but the public is
> >outside and probably a good 10-15 feet away from
> the
> >wires anyway.  So with that in hand, we got the
> thing
> >set up and ran it with no problems to date over the
> >past several years.  Hope this gives you a little
> more
> >info regarding our little museum tesla coil.
> >
> >All the best, Tony.
-----
I too came across to their web page last year I think.
Few comments of mine.
Judging by Tony's words TC safety was brough to a high

levelthere.Asconcerns their big VDG machine and "safe"
experiments with it and explanations displayed on web
page ,it is utterr nonsence to claim that discharge
from VDG of that size carries small current (it could
be put in various ways by definition of current per
time taken ,but pulses  must be in excess of kA there
whatever) .
Furtherly,it is stated that some of demonstrators had 
arc struck their hands after putting them outside the
Far.cage and jolts produced that way painful but not
especially dangerous.
I wonder if they know the big guy could even kill
under slightly changed  conditions.

Regards,
Boris                                                 
                                                      
                                                      
                


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