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Re: Tesla Receiver Coil
Original poster: Ed Phillips <evp@xxxxxxxxxxx>
See c
The first gratifying result of my efforts in this direction was the
transmission of electrical energy thru one wire without return. . .
. [T]he idea gradually took hold of me that the earth might be used
in place of the wire. . . "
A mistake on his part of course. There was a return circuit but
it wasn't a physical conductor, just the capacitance of the circuit.
"The immensity of the globe seemed an unsurmountable obstacle but
after a prolonged study of the subject I became satisfied that the
undertaking was rational, and in my lectures before the Franklin
Institute and National Electric Light Association early in 1893 I
gave the outline of the system I had conceived. In the latter part
of that year, at the Chicago World's Fair, I had the good fortune of
meeting Prof. Helmholtz to whom I explained my plan, illustrating it
with experiments. On that occasion I asked the celebrated physicist
for an expression of opinion on the feasibility of the scheme. He
stated unhesitatingly that it was practicable, provided I could
perfect apparatus capable of putting it into effect but this, he
anticipated, would be extremely difficult to accomplish."
This is anecdotal without backup (at least here). Wonder if
Helmholtz (Hert's mentor) ever wrote anything on the subject? That
would be corroboration.
"In the summer of 1897 Lord Kelvin happened to pass thru New York
and honored me by a visit to my laboratory where I entertained him
with demonstrations in support of my wireless theory. He was fairly
carried away with what he saw but, nevertheless, condemned my
project in emphatic terms, qualifying it as something impossible,
"an illusion and a snare." I had expected his approval and was
pained and surprised. But the next day he returned and gave me a
better opportunity for explanation of the advances I had made and of
the true principles underlying the system I had evolved. Suddenly
he remarked with evident astonishment: "Then you are not making use
of Hertz waves?" "Certainly not," I replied, "these are
radiations". No energy could be economically transmitted to a
distance by any such agency.
In my system the process is one of true conduction which,
theoretically, can be effected at the greatest distance without
appreciable loss." I can never forget the magic change that came
over the illustrious philosopher the moment he freed himself from
that erroneous impression. The skeptic who would not believe was
suddenly transformed into the warmest of supporters. He parted from
me not only thoroughly convinced of the scientific soundness of the
idea but strongly exprest his confidence in its success. . . .
Nikola Tesla, 1919, "Famous Scientific Illusions, III. The Singular
Misconception of the Wireless. (See
http://www.tfcbooks.com/tesla/illusions.htm for the unabridged text.)"
Too bad Kelvin never wrote about that meeting and his agreement
with Tesla. Too bad too that Hertzian waves are still with us and
the World Power System never has been....................
Ed