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Guess what this is?

T

Trespasser

Jan 1, 1970
0
Jasen Betts said:
6V battery, switch, Royer(?) inverter, is that a pocket sized tesla coil?

:)

Battery, switch and inverter all correct.
 
P

Pete Wilcox

Jan 1, 1970
0
Trespasser Inscribed thus:
Well its a high voltage generator used for generating a corona discharge
from the silver ball !
That would be my guess as well. The foil-covered ball does somewhat
resemble the business-end of a Van de Graff generator. Prolly like one of
those hippy-dippy things you used to be able to buy back in the 70's
('cos, like, man, negative ions are GOOD for you, y'know, man?) But
without knowing what's on the cct board (in between the xfrmr and the
ball) it's difficult to say for sure.

Cheers,
Pete.
 
B

Baron

Jan 1, 1970
0
Pete Wilcox Inscribed thus:
That would be my guess as well. The foil-covered ball does somewhat
resemble the business-end of a Van de Graff generator. Prolly like
one of those hippy-dippy things you used to be able to buy back in the
70's ('cos, like, man, negative ions are GOOD for you, y'know, man?)
But without knowing what's on the cct board (in between the xfrmr and
the ball) it's difficult to say for sure.

Wow man, Wow...
Cheers,
Pete.

I agree ! I suspect that the large transformer just supplies a lowish
voltage, say 50v rectified to feed a neon relaxation oscillator feeding
a coil. A bit like a Kettering ignition system. The big silver ball
providing a load and producing a corona discharge.
 
J

Jasen Betts

Jan 1, 1970
0
Pete Wilcox Inscribed thus:


Wow man, Wow...


I agree ! I suspect that the large transformer just supplies a lowish
voltage, say 50v rectified to feed a neon relaxation oscillator feeding
a coil. A bit like a Kettering ignition system. The big silver ball
providing a load and producing a corona discharge.

I didn't spot the neons at first look.


tesla coil: ___
/ | \ dome
\ E /
spark E
gap E
.-> <-+----_ E
| | _) E air
| === _) E core
-------+ | .-|_ E transformer
HV | | | _) E
DC | | | _) E
| `-> <-+-|-' |
| | |
`--------------' ---
///

his circuit appears to use neons instead of spark gaps
and has a longer lead to the dome, but otherwise it
still looks like a pocket tesla coil to me :)
 
T

Trespasser

Jan 1, 1970
0
Hi Jasen, Baron and Pete,

The consensus appears to be that the device in the picture is a small Tesla
coil. Correct is that induction coil triggering occurs with neon ignition. I
think most Tesla coils use a spark gap here. The spark gap in the image is
mounted instead across the induction coil output. I'm interested in electric
field emissions, and the spark's step function provides an 'all frequencies'
impulse. The shiny polystyrene ball has a strange dual function. Like the
high voltage plate capacitor which it replaced, it stores charge and
increases spark current. Unlike the plate capactitor, it somehow yields a
stronger electric field.

I suppose its quite like a miniature Tesla coil, and you were all very
clever in getting to that point. The minor differences relate only to the
pulsed, as opposed to continuous, high voltage supply. That would have been
difficult to determine from any image. Both devices are electric field
generators.

Well done.

Tressie.
 
J

Jasen Betts

Jan 1, 1970
0
Hi Jasen, Baron and Pete,

The consensus appears to be that the device in the picture is a small Tesla
coil. Correct is that induction coil triggering occurs with neon ignition. I
think most Tesla coils use a spark gap here. The spark gap in the image is
mounted instead across the induction coil output. I'm interested in electric
field emissions, and the spark's step function provides an 'all frequencies'
impulse. The shiny polystyrene ball has a strange dual function. Like the
high voltage plate capacitor which it replaced, it stores charge and
increases spark current. Unlike the plate capactitor, it somehow yields a
stronger electric field.

I suppose its quite like a miniature Tesla coil, and you were all very
clever in getting to that point. The minor differences relate only to the
pulsed, as opposed to continuous, high voltage supply. That would have been
difficult to determine from any image. Both devices are electric field
generators.

Well done.

it'm prepared to call that "close"

ok so it's really a spark gap transmitter and the ball is the capacitance
hat antenna. it's still a cool device.,
 
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