Re: Halloween Coiling and the FCC

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

Original poster: "by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <dhmccauley-at-spacecatlighting-dot-com>


I know a lot of people here claim that tesla coils are quite "lousy" at
being antennas and all that, but they throw a whole huge amount of RF hash
out in the atmosphere especially when run outside.  Especially in a very
urbanized area, you may attract the attention of other "listens" especially
if near an airport, etc...

My very good friend Lou, a seasoned ham operator, made a bet with me.  He
claimed he could hear my tesla coil with his antennas at 20 miles away
during operation.  Since "the group" here previously claimed that tesla
coils were lousy radiators, i figured i had that bet won.  Anyways, i set my
coil up outside and he and my friend were at his house where all his ham
equipment was set-up.  We then synchronized our watches and he informed me
to key at random 3 short pulses.  This was accomplished by quickly turning
off power to my 15kv/60mA NST.  He then told me to do this at random
intervals for the next half hour and that he would record the exact time he
received them.

Well, sure enough he got almost all the transmissions.  He also picked up to
the 3rd harmonics of the signal as well which were much fainter no less, but
still detectable.

We then reversed roles and repeated the experiment.  Voila.  Same results.
And it was blatantly obvious when that thing was on.

I never would have thought it could be such an efficient radiator!!!!  I'm
convinced now!!!!


HOWEVER, it still wouldn't stop me from firing my coil up outside.  I'm
going to do the same.  Of course, halloween is the perfect excuse to run the
coil outside!!!!

Dan




> Hi All,
>
> This Halloween, I'd like to mount my 2kVA coil on the roof above my
> front porch.  I plan to use a counterpoise of chicken wire, which would
> be connected to a "real" RF ground.  I plan also to extend the
> counterpoise out a little way from the roof, over the walkway, to catch
> any errant streamers that might come close to people.
>
> I'd like some input from people who have "been there, done that", since
> I obviously don't want to do something dangerous/stupid.  The PSU would
> be on the roof as well, totally out of reach.
>
> Also, I live in the Los Angeles area, which as many of you know is a
> "paranoid" city, obsessed with anything that has the capacity to do any
> harm to anything (except cars ;-)).  I don't want the police at my
> house.  Can anyone advise me here??
>
> Thanks,
> Winston K.
>
> PS-I normally do an elaborate Halloween display, and am looking to "kick
> it up a notch".  It's quite electrically intensive, since I have
> control/power wire running to various motorized/lighted equipment.  This
> would be the first year that high voltage would enter the picture.
>
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