Why we build these things Was: Re: Tesla Coil Dream

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

Original poster: "Chris Roberts by way of Terry Fritz <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" <quezacotl_14000000000000-at-yahoo-dot-com>

I'm not entirely sure the exact reason behind why we do build these things. 
Some do them for the research, for show, for education, for the challenge, 
and other reasons, but I think that most of us build them for the sheer 
sensation of it. I mean, lightning is for the most part a very uncommon 
event, only occuring when the right tempratures, moistures, and air 
currents come at the right time and place, but when it does come, it is 
sure to grasp the attention of everyone in its influence. Everybody has a 
diffrent reaction to it, some fear it, some simply notice it, and some just 
can't wait for the next one to strike. Tesla coils are the same way - when 
you first roll your really big coil out in front of the driveway, and 
slowly start turning the variac up, everybody in your neighborhood will 
most likely notice it. (Fortunately these things aren't as loud as the real 
thing) Some people will think of it as soley an annoyance, so! me will 
simply see it as a strange thing the wierd neighbors are up to again, and 
others will take the time to come out and see it whenever you fire it up. 
It's simply what drives you, what you do that may seem strange to others. 
Things like sports, working on cars, building model trains, or hurilng 
thunderous bolts of electrical death across your garage. =D Whenever I show 
people the coil, they ask how long and how much it took to build and are 
completely baffled when I tell them. They then are completly amazed when I 
tell them of the person who re-wired the entire circut box in their home to 
power their new pole transformer or the person who built a 130kW coil that 
is taller than many houses. Some people think we are nuts as they're 
spending thousands of dollars to mak their car go 4 times the speed limit, 
while they can still (legally) only go the speed limit. There's nothing 
wrong with this, it's the same princ! iple. So to answer your question of 
why we build Tesla&

nbsp;Coils, I guess the answer is that it is what Tesla Coilers build. Just 
as model train builders build model trains, it's what we do for fun. One 
thing is given, this certain hobby is much more impressionable than many 
others. I can still rember the exact first coil I had ever seen, when a 
couple of people from a high school brought their coil, lined up the entire 
class, and touched the output... <ouch> now look where it has gotten me =D
Well, that held off boredom for a while. Sorry about it being a little 
long. I don't think that was too off topic...

Tesla list <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com> wrote:

Whoa! I wonder at what point Tesla coiling stops being a fun and
educational hobby and turns into a dangerous obsession? Does anyone else
out there dream about Tesla coils? In fact, why do we even build the darn
things in the first place? What got you into coiling and what keeps you
building more and more coils? (This question is directed at anyone who
cares to answer, not just Dan McCauley.) Terry, if you consider this
off-topic, just nuke it.

Steve C.





-Chris