Re: Tesla Car Article

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: Mddeming@xxxxxxx 

In a message dated 1/11/05 7:22:53 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
tesla@xxxxxxxxxx writes:
Original poster: Ed Phillips <evp@xxxxxxxxxxx>

It's interesting how many variants there are to this story, with
different dates, car brands, and descriptions of the power source.  In
some of the latter Tesla either "bought some tubes at the local radio
store" or "removed some peculiarly-shaped tubes from a suitcase", etc;
always twelve tubes though, even if their description is different in
different stories.  This article is better written than many - lots of
interesting details.  For instance, of the 12 tubes of "curious
construction" three have been identified as "70L7GT (rectifier beam
tubes)", which weren't developed or sold until many years later.  Time
warp?  [Actually the 70L7GT contains a beam power amplifier and a
separate rectifier, but guess the author is entitled to artistic
license.]  Another interesting detail - the motor is described as "40
inches long and 30 inches in diameter", which works out to be a volume
of about 16.4 cubic feet.  If it were half steel with a weight of about
490 pounds/cubic foot, the weight would be around 8000 pounds or 4
tons.  Remarkable car, remarkable motor!  [Hope I didn't slip a decimal
point there.]

  Is anyone aware of any direct statement about this car from Tesla
himself?????

Ed


    Hi Ed, All,

    This article has all the devices of 19th century Sci-fi, which is now 
emulated by most all the conspiracy-theory tabloids. The article just 
happens to come from such a conspiracy theory rag. (see nexusmagazine.com 
for the original). Their story-formula is as follows:

1) A remarkable event, defying all known science, occurred a number of 
years ago, involving some famous person
2) Everyone was sworn to secrecy.
3) The inventor/main character is dead or vanished.
4) The person who related the story to the writer is likewise dead or has 
disappeared.
5) The marvelous machine / magical book, etc., has likewise disappeared, 
been misplaced, been dismantled / confiscated, or secreted away in some 
close-by but unidentifiable place.
6) Only a tiny bit of technical information is available, often erroneous.
7) The story concerns an anecdote told to the writer ten to thirty years 
before he wrote the article.

This kind of story device was used extensively by Jules Verne, H. G. Wells, 
Edgar Rice Burroughs, and even Joseph Smith as far back as 1830!

    The 70L7GT was, as you pointed out developed in the 1940s as an audio 
amplifier and rectifier in the same envelope, designed for more compact 
table-top radios. It operates on a peak plate voltage of 117 V. in the 
rectifier section, and 110V amplifier. The rectifier can handle up to 70 ma 
of current (8.2 watts max.) and the beam power section has a max output of 
1.8 watts.

    I'm afraid this is just another one of those pseudoscientific legends 
that keep the true believers faithful.

Matt D.