RE: very confused coil results

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

Original poster: "David Thomson by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <dave-at-volantis-dot-org>

Hi Ed,

In NIKOLA TESLA ON HIS WORK WITH ALTERNATING CURRENTS and Their Application
to Wireless Telegraphy, Telephony and Transmission of Power by Leland I.
Anderson (section IV,)  Tesla is quoted as saying,

"This [Fig. 32] is another improvement in that particular device, which was
the weakness of the invention and which I tried to eliminate. This device
incorporated many spark gaps in series. It had a peculiar feature; namely,
through the great number of gaps, I was able, as I have pointed out in my
writings, to produce oscillations without even a spark being visible between
the knobs. This device is now known in the art as the "quenched spark gap."
Professor Wein has formulated a beautiful theory about it, which I
understand has netted him the Nobel prize. Wein's theories are admirable.
The only trouble is that he has overlooked one very important fact. It is
this: If the apparatus is properly designed and operated, there is no use
for the quenched gap, for the oscillations are continuous anyway. The radio
men who came after me had the problem before them of making a bell sound,
and they immersed it in mercury. Now, you know mercury is heavy. When they
struck their bell, the mercury did not permit it to vibrate long because it
took away all the energy. I put my bell in a vacuum and make it vibrate for
hours. I have designed circuits in connection with an enterprise in 1898 for
transmission of energy which, once started, would vibrate three years, and
even after that the oscillations could still be detected. Professor Wein's
theory is very beautiful, but it really has no practical meaning. It will
become useless as soon as the inefficient apparatus of the day, with
antennae that radiate energy rapidly, [are] replaced by a scientifically
designed oscillator which does not give out energy except when it gets up to
a tremendous electromagnetic momentum."

The scientifically designed oscillator is the combination flat spiral coil
with tall solenoid combination that I am working on.  Early on I already
pointed out that my coils can run continuously for hours without the
slightest heating of the transformer, capacitors or spark gap.

Today I just finished the oil immersed mica primary capacitors and this week
I'll wind a new 48" tall solenoid for the center of the 25" flat spiral I
have wound.  I'm trying to build one of these "scientifically designed"
coils Tesla was talking about.

Dave

-----Original Message-----
From: Tesla list [mailto:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com]
Sent: Monday, April 08, 2002 12:38 PM
To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: very confused coil results


Original poster: "Ed Phillips by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
<evp-at-pacbell-dot-net>

Tesla list wrote:
>
> Original poster: "David Thomson by way of Terry Fritz
<twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <dave-at-volantis-dot-org>
>
> Hi Chris,
>
> Nikola Tesla remarked in one of his papers that he could tune a coil so
well
> that no action would be seen at the spark gap, even though the coil was
> fully operational.  You got to remember that a spark gap is

	Very strange!  What's the reference and are you sure your quote is
exact?

Ed