Re: without wires?

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

Original poster: "Malcolm Watts" <m.j.watts-at-massey.ac.nz> 

On 24 Jul 2004, at 17:26, Tesla list wrote:

 > Original poster: "Chris Swinson" <tesla-at-cps-electronics.co.uk>
 >
 >
 > ----- Original Message -----
 > From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
 > To: <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
 > Sent: Friday, July 23, 2004 6:52 PM
 > Subject: without wires?
 >
 >
 >  > Original poster: "steve" <steve_vance-at-cablelynx-dot-com>
 >  >
 >  > Hi list,
 >  > Quick question. I have been coiling about a year and never really
 >  thought > about this. We all know that Tesla dreamed of using his
 >  creation to
 > transmit
 >  > electricity to homes without the use of wires. Obviously the first
 >  > realization of his dream was the creation of the Tesla Coil but how
 >  was
 > the
 >  > electricity supposed to be received? I know about lighting a gas
 >  tube, I > have done this myself, but really, This is not a very
 >  efficient way to
 > make
 >  > light. How was the tc output supposed to be received and converted
 >  to
 > useful
 >  > power over any reasonable distance?(inverse square law) What am I
 >  missing? > >
 >
 > Tesla Intended to use coils high up, such as on a large hill or very
 > high above sea level. He found the higher he went the lower the
 > voltage needed to break down the air. He found at the right voltage
 > and height he could get the air to conduct better than any wire or
 > cable. The "surface area" of air is of course many many times that of
 > what any wire could be. The receiver needed only to be a long antenna
 > simple to "touch" this electrical path and in doing this the reciver
 > would pull some current from the transmitter.  It is the same as a 1:1
 > ratio transformer, but with "a lot" of air as the core. Tesla latter
 > moved onto conduction via the earth.
 >
 > Chris

I'm tempted to question the notion of "better conduction" than copper
wire, especially at sub-auroral heights. Certainly the discharges
have a negative resistance characteristic but that doesn't imply they
lose less power over a given distance. In fact sparks (and glow
discharges) dissipate power quite effectively.

Malcolm