Re: Tesla Coil Regulations??????

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Jim Lux by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>" <jimlux-at-earthlink-dot-net>

>
> There are a few "infernal devices" laws that cover people building things
that
> are obviously destructive or really dangerous to humanity, but you would
have
> to really try hard to get into that.  Playing with a pole transformer in
your
> garage "could" get you into that if something really bad were to happen.
These
> laws are for the people that try to make their own intercontinental
missiles
> out of oil drums, make their own medium scale nuclear breeder reactors in
their
> swimming pools, or do something that is really desperately dangerous that
> "obviously" needs to be stopped.  It would be hard to convince a jury that
your
> Tesla coil falls into that.  As long as you sound like your are not insane
when
> the cops come, they will go away.  It is good to have a looooooong
draaaaaaaawn
> ouuuuuuuuuuut technical "explanation" of what it is and how it works ready
if
> needed.  Something that would make a jury fall asleep...  If course,
> "sympathetic" expert witnesses are available ;-))

In California, the word "infernal" does not appear in any state law (ahh,
the handy on-line codes...), and "destructive devices" are almost entirely
related to explosives or firearms (dry ice in a plastic coke bottle intended
to explode IS a destructive device, possession of which is a felony (or,
more to the point, instructing someone how to build one, is, as well)).
There appear to be no laws explicitly prohibiting (or regulating) rail guns,
electromagnetic launchers, can crushers, EMP generators, etc., as long as no
chemical reactions are involved.. (probably an oversight on the part of
regulators... so keep your nose clean and don't inspire the lawmakers to
change things.)