Re: Tesla myths corrected - Best text? (fwd)

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2007 13:50:11 +0800
From: Peter Terren <pterren@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Tesla list <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: Tesla myths corrected - Best text? (fwd)

Thanks Jim
Exactly the sort of information I needed.
Unfortunately I missed out on  the cheap pile of Tesla books including Hulls 
notes recently.
I guess it's like the old saying
"In God we believe...all others must bring data".

Cheers
Peter

> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2007 19:53:06 -0700
> From: James Zimmerschied <zimtesla@xxxxxxx>
> To: Tesla <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re: Tesla myths corrected - Best text? (fwd)
>
> Peter and all,
> A book that I have found useful in dealing with some of the claims about
> Tesla's work is "Nikola Tesla On His Work with Alternating Currents and
> Their Application to Wireless Telegraphy, Telephony and Transmission of
> Power" compiled by Leland Anderson Twenty First Century Books. This book
> is a transcription of depositions by Tesla to his counsel in preparation
> for court actions related to his inventions. The transcripts are very
> interesting because the counsel was technically astute and he pinned Tesla
> down on many claims and brought out details of how the various apparatus
> worked.
>
> In the Anderson book on pg 98 Tesla is discussing transmission of power to
> light a bulb some distance away. The photo shows a small lighted bulb
> attached to a large coil which was in a field. Tesla states the distance
> is not important since the power was not carried by electromagnetic waves
> but by a ground current. When pressed on how far the bulb/coil was from
> the main circuit Tesla states "I cannot tell you but the complete details
> were illustrated in Century Magazine". A footnote in the book states that
> the article in Century Magazine did not give any distance information.
>
> On the other hand in John O'Neill's book "Prodigal Genius" on page 193-194
> is a claim that Tesla lit 200 50W bulbs at a distance of 26 miles (10000 W
> or 13 hp). The book says the information was from "piecing fragmentary
> information published in various publications..." No direct quote from
> Tesla.
>
> Another good book that is out of print but may be found on the internet is
> Richard Hull's "The Tesla Coil Builder's Guide to the Colorado Springs
> Notes of Nikola Tesla". Here is one example: In "Prodigal Genius" the
> story is related of the Colorado Springs apparatus discharging lightning
> bolts 80 feet or longer from the tall mast with a ball on the end (pg
> 186). Tesla is quoted as saying the "discharges were probably 100 ft end
> to end and it would not be difficult to reach lengths 100 times as great"
> (pg 188).
>
> Hull in his analysis of the Colorado Springs apparatus and laboratory
> noted that the distance from the pole mast to the building surrounding it
> would not have allowed a long discharge from the mast. Also Hull doubts
> that any discharge more than 43 ft end to end based on Tesla's notes. No
> photos were made (or preserved) of a discharge from the mast. Also the
> capacitance of the mast and ball were such that it would have been
> unlikely that Tesla could have brought it into resonance with his
> equipment.
>
> Other biographies tended to also include information contained in the
> earliest one from O'Neill. The bottom line is that there was a lot of myth
> mixed with the facts. Jim Zimmerschied
>
>
>  ----- Original Message ----- 
>  From: Tesla list<mailto:tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
>  To: tesla@xxxxxxxxxx<mailto:tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
>  Sent: Monday, October 15, 2007 8:45 AM
>  Subject: Re: Tesla myths corrected - Best text? (fwd)
>
>
>
>  ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>  Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2007 22:59:19 +0800
>  From: Peter Terren <pterren@xxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:pterren@xxxxxxxxxxxx>>
>  To: Tesla list <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx<mailto:tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>>
>  Subject: Re: Tesla myths corrected - Best text?
>
>  I have had the need on several occasions now to correct myths about Tesla
>  but lack the knowledge base. Does anyone recommend a book that will have
>  this sort of information.
>
>  Things like
>  "Lit up 200 light globes at 40 miles."
>  Hard to conceive doing this even with a wire.  Think about it in terms of
>  wire resistance for DC particularly if only conventional mains voltages.
>  Suppose light globes are 100V 50W  then 200 x 50W = 1kW. At 100V this is
>  10A. Even 10 ohms will be a major problem and would require very thick 
> wire
>  to get 0.25 ohms per mile. 2 Two strands of 0 SWG = 9mm thick would do 
> this.
>  And this is just one way.  It assumes a very good earth is available at 
> both
>  ends.  Use one strand of 9mm and you will light up the globes at 1/4 
> current
>  and perhaps 1/10 brightness.
>  At current copper prices that is something like $14,000. Not counting
>  supports etc.
>  Using low frequency AC allows voltage step up then the supports become
>  important and you need to run transformers at either end.  And using high
>  frequency or even Tesla output is out of the question due to corona,
>  capacitative and inductance issues.
>  To do that as a wireless setup even with a mile high transmitter and
>  receiver and resonant setup would seem far fetched to get that sort of
>  performance
>
>  I understand that this was press hyperbole that has grown by word of 
> mouth.
>  I recall someone stating that the original experiment was that he lit up
>  some globes just outside the lab earthed to a pipe.  I don't have the
>  background for that.
>
>  Similarly, Tunguska explosions, death rays, resonant vibrations and 100MV
>  sparks are all ludicrous.
>
>  Can anyone help direct me?
>
>  Peter
>
>
>
>
>