Re: [TCML] Halloween

[Michael Baumann <baumann@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I have done displays with my coil for 10 years running. Here's the thing - 
as Gary mentions below - I put up a "graveyard fence" around the front yard,
and the coil lives in the center of the lawn for the night. that gives me about a 
10' radius around the coil that is protected by a fence. Since the longest streamere
I've ever gotten was about 60", that gives me a 2x buffer zone. It's controlled via a 
deadman switch - if I am not pressing the button, the contactor doesn't close
and the coil gets no power.  And the kids go nowhere near where the power lines run.
Runs are limited to at most a few seconds at a time- two reasons. 

1) keeps the ozone build up to a minimum.
2) My ancient sparkgap heats up fairly fast even with good airflow.

I don't fire the coil around anyone under about 10 - Trust me, there is nothing
more heartbreaking than seeing a little kid screaming because they are absolutely terrified.
Remember, when the coil fires its both very loud, and very sudden. The combo of 
startle, spark gap snarl, and branching lightning, when you've got a kid that's barely 
willing to walk up the driveway, is just too much. 

Teenagers and Parents, on the other hand...... *evil laugh* [I've had at least one "wet cleanup on
asile 1" - the guy must have been at *least* 17 - doubt he lived that one down for a
long, long, long time]

Oh, and my daughter handles the candy - I handle the coil.

Good lord, I just re-read that first sentence. I've been running this coil  off and on
for 10 years - on the same home-brew PE/Foil plate caps. Guess I built them right.


On Sep 7, 2011, at 5:40 AM, Gary Lau wrote:

> Not to be the wet blanket, but serious liability issues come to mind.  Kids,
> running around in the dark without adult supervision, and Tesla coils, are a
> troublesome mix.  Unless you have a rigidly enforced perimeter that the kids
> can't penetrate, and a second pair of adult eyes dedicated 100% to watching
> the kids and not the coil, it just seems like a bad idea.
> 
> Regards, Gary Lau
> MA, USA
> 
> On Tue, Sep 6, 2011 at 2:29 PM, Stephen Costanza <baywatch106@xxxxxxxxx>wrote:
> 
>> I was looking for ideas to do with my 12/50 Tesla coil ( I have had a max
>> of
>> 41"  for a strike) for this halloween , and possible other items could be
>> incorporated in with the coil. Has anyone else put on little shows before
>> for the kids?
>> Here is a link to some pictures and a vid of my coil.
>> http://s564.photobucket.com/albums/ss82/baywatch106/scuba/Tesla%20coil/
>> 
> _______________________________________________

Michael Baumann
baumann@xxxxxxxxxxxxx



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