Re: Keeping up with the theory (was is Corum andCorumforbidden topic?)

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

Original poster: "Paul Nicholson by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <paul-at-abelian.demon.co.uk>

John Freau wrote:
> He intended the TCBA to be a forum where coilers could meet
> each other, share ideas, see examples of other's coils, serve
> as a tutorial, etc.

Doesn't that sound a lot like what we want?  Why did he
wind the thing up rather than pass it on to some acolyte?
Was circulation falling?  Was he having trouble competing with
the Internet?  And what of the TCB Association itself - is that
defunct now too?

Bert Hickman wrote:

> I want to strongly second John's comments...
> http://www.aquila-dot-net/berthickman/frames/goldman.html

20 years work - what a star!  

Many thanks for correcting my opinion of the TCBA. I'm glad to hear
that several people have the complete set, but that won't hold
back entropy for long. 

> Harry has indicated that he might compile the series in a single
> publication or CD if he has the time.

That would help preserve the work, and make it easier to access.
Would be better if it was on the Net though, wouldn't it? 

But that wouldn't recover the loss of a well-liked forum. Why
didn't someone else take over?  Is it that Harry supplied most of
the momentum?  I guess he supplied the peer review too.  Loss of 
the TCBA must have left quite a few coilers in limbo. Has the
pupman list membership gone up much since last August?

But a cake and a video?  Wouldn't a permanent web site be a fitting
tribute to such an effort, and made live with an ongoing, net-based,
peer reviewed newsletter?

Wonder how something like that could be funded and worked?  Of course,
Harry would have to be patron, and you'd need a bunch of reliable
experts to form some kind of review panel.  But then you'd have the
core of a light-weight institution, with continuity, authority in
the field, something like what we notice is missing?  Not quite the
ARRL but it would be something?  

Perhaps it's the case that Tesla coiling is just not a big enough
hobby to support a central core. Perhaps coilers are just too few
and disparate in their interests for the field to coalesce around
any sort of imposed centroid, in the way that most hobbies tend to
form authoritative societies. 

Oh, and where are the commercial boys?  How come the TC manufacturers
and entertainers haven't formed some sort of a trade association?
Is it just a case of too few, too far apart, no common interests,
nothing to be gained?  Would it not be good for business?
--
Paul Nicholson
--