RE: Fluorescent Lamps

["Dale Hall" <Dale.Hall-at-trw-dot-com> (by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>)]

Hi Ted,
If the garbage can lid was a conductor it effectively "shields" the field
from the lamp.

If it was plastic or a non conductor it should have worked except for the
fact that:

Corona and particularly power arcs dissipate the radiated field quickly 
and effectively leaving little to stimulate florescent lamps !

This also demonstrates that TC's radiate RF fields poorly when sparking !!
 
Maximum distance will be achieved when the topload is made just 
large enough such that there is no breakout,
representing the condition of maximum field radiation. (what Nikola sought)

A demo I perform is:
Short the florescent's opposite end pins with a heavy conductor, even thick
braid.
Still lights ! 
Demonstrates the extent of how high a voltage is induced 
even in short conductor lengths in the presence of the Tesla Field 
(and/or that the field directly stimulates the phosphors to illuminate
 and no channel current path is necessary) and
why we often get "hit" when we get too near conductive surfaces and 
why electronic test instruments (DMM/Scopes/power supplies) die so easily.

Holding an end of the tube simply provides a more substantial circuit path
probably though body capacitance to ground or conduit for field transmission,
likely connection being capacitive reactance 
stimulating tube ionization leading to phosphor illumination.  

It is likely the phosphors are directly stimulated by high the E field.
Any current travel through the body of the tube enforces brightness 
(but likely not necessary)

In the absence of someone holding the lamp it is more effective to 
position the tube such that the opposite ends see the highest differential
i.e. one side closer to ground or at least away from topload to maximize
tube current.
 (delta capacitance's to hot/ground seen by the opposite tube ends)

Regards, Dale
I'll be doing my residential SS DCTC/Pumpkin show this Halloween 
again 38", 4.9 J/bang, battery powered, < 1 Watt DC power input
  last years pumpkin on toroid power discharge pictures:
  http://www.cowmail-dot-net/dalehalldctc/
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Tesla list [mailto:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com]
Sent: Friday, September 15, 2000 7:09 AM
To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Fluorescent Lamps

Original poster: "Ted Rosenberg" <Ted.Rosenberg-at-radioshack-dot-com> 

Hi all:
Can anyone who has had experience lighting fluorescent lamps with TCs give
me some guidelines? Do the lamps need to be grounded? Do they need to be hit
by streamers? Is there a 'field" distance that will light them?

FYI, I placed one about 5 feet from the toroid (in a garbage can) and it did
not light.
At the time I was getting multiple 24 inch streamers to air and solid 30
inch arcs to ground.

Safety First  Ted Rosenberg