Re: Distilled water as a dielectric?

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "Paul B. Brodie" <pbbrodie@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Hi Malcolm,
I'm sort of back. Thanks for your email of support. I really do appreciate 
it. Thanks to everyone. It is hard to describe how much it helps to know 
that there are people who care about you and concerned about you. All of 
the support Debbie passed along was a great comfort.

Do you know where I can get a copy of Jimmy Hynes' diary of his development 
of his SSTC? I would just love to read it. I have been fascinated by what I 
have read about him and his Tesla Coil exploits. Does anyone know whatever 
became of Jimmy, school, fame, fortune? He certainly sounds like a "can't 
miss" individual!!! Too bad there aren't millions more like him. Then, we 
wouldn't have had a thread about the decline of science! I couldn't resist 
one last jab.
Regards.
Paul
Think Positive

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, June 06, 2005 11:19 PM
Subject: Re: Distilled water as a dielectric?

> Original poster: "Malcolm Watts" <m.j.watts@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
> Hi Mark, all,
>
> On 5 Jun 2005, at 22:50, Tesla list wrote:
>
> > Original poster: "Mark Broker" <mbroker@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> >
> > On Sat, 04 Jun 2005 20:00:38 -0600, Tesla list <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
> > wrote:
> >
> > >Original poster: Davetracer@xxxxxxx
> > >
> > >      For other readers: Yes, I know this is not an optimal solution.
> > >      But
> > >the amount of money I can put into the TC right now is low, and this
> > >solution just plain works.... What I'm trying to say is that this
> > >*works* and you don't always have to spend the big bucks to get a
> > >perfectly satisfying Tesla Coil.
> > >
> > >      Dave Small
> >
> > Dave, I think you nailed it here.  There are far too many "cookie
> > cutter" solutions out there, even in this hobby....
> >
> > "A good idea is the enemy of a better one, as you stop looking for
> > alternatives." ? Tudor Rickards
>
> I like the "cookie-cutter" description of a particular approach to
> hobbies. In my opinion it is all wrong. Little is learned by
> following a recipe and having it work perfectly first time except
> that you could repeat that recipe with some confidence. The real
> learning occurs when things don't work as expected and one is forced
> to think above all else. If your goal is simply to impress the
> neighbours, go for the recipe. If your goal is apply scientific
> method and learn from using it, don't ask endless trivial questions
> of others - suck it and see. Jimmy Hynes diary of his SS coil
> development is a wonderful documented example of how to do it.
>      In order to think outside the box you first need to discover the
> boundaries. Those who don't either end up repeating history or
> "inventing" impossibilities (like a design student in this country
> who once proudly had his photograph presented in a newspaper together
> with a column lauding his "invention" of some kind of stove which
> could ".. cook a hearty meal or boil a cup of tea off an electric
> fence.."). Ouch!!
>
> Malcolm
>
>