Re: Stop the nonsense

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

Original poster: "Terry Fritz" <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>

Hi Paul,

At 07:58 PM 2/13/2002 +0000, you wrote:
>Jim Williams wrote:
>> 'Nonsense'  ???  Do you really mean that??
>
>That's how the recent stuff on longitudinal waves reads to me,
>I can understand the words, but the sentences don't make any 
>sense.  In a funny sort of way, it's priceless.
>

"All" I read into the term "longitudinal waves" is a wave propagated as a
sheet from a BIG flat surface antenna as opposed to a point source or
dipole antenna.  Nothing more...  No need to shatter physics to do that
:-))  Tesla's longitudinal waves were from a big ball (the Earth) but that
looks flat to the little guy standing on it's surface.

"Some people" may want you to think the concept is too complex for
"classically trained engineers to understand" and you need to resort to
various forms of voodoo to see the "light".  "They" can often trick us
there because with think "up" in complexity for things we initially don't
understand rather than "down" ;-))  But really, what they are talking of is
just plain old standing waves with strict boundary conditions.  Many normal
folks have not learned all the "corect egineering" words to describe it
that we did in school so they use the terms of the "common man".  Once you
see what they are talking about, the translation is very clear.

>> Or have you not read ANY of Tesla's work???
>
>Only a little I'm afraid.  I made the mistake of dipping into his
>later writings and was deeply saddened.

If you don't read anything else about Tesla, get the "Colorado Spring
Notes"!  A wonderful first account of a true genius struggling to figure
out circuit theory we all now teach to freshmen...  Reading of his troubles
and wild stabs of experimentation with trivial circuits is painful in light
of what we know now, but he knew how to crank up them big arcs to make it a
load of fun :-))  Take my word for it, best book you will ever read!  Don't
bother reading anything else...

>I'm sure that Terry would say that discussions about the history of
>Tesla's failures, and the reasons for them, are perfectly on topic.

Tesla had a LOT of successes.  Tesla had a LOT of failures.  But only those
related to "Tesla's coils" concern us here.

>At the end of the day, I trust Terry's judgement on these things - he
>seems to have the knack of sensing what's fair and acceptable. Maybe
>he sees sport to be had - I notice a few of the hard nosed experts
>have sensed blood - someone even asked for experimental details - 
>now that's a bit below the belt.

Your original complaint that started this thread has caused a fun "stir"
:-))))  It also drew attention to list issues, that helped draw attention
to list problems, that drew attention to the lost post thing, that helped
to "finally" get it fixed...  

"Longitudinal wave theory fixed the Tesla list!!"  See,, it's good for
something!!! :o)))

"I" don't expect to see wave forms, voltage levels, or great theories.
What I look for is "observations" that I can't explain.  A few week ago
while watching 6 inch primary to secondary arc on a person's first simple
Tesla coil, I was asked "Terry, what causes that?"  I had no darn idea!!
but "I" WILL figure it out...  Sort of a "they find the questions, we'll
find the answers" deal...  "Hard nosed experts" sense blood when someone
shows them something they can't explain.  Grrrrr... makes ME froth at the
mouth :oD""

Dave's longitudinal waves may not "impress" me much.  But his asking a
simple question like "what is the Fo frequency of his flat coil?"  DOES!!
Because,, I don't know....

Cheers,

	Terry