Hello!

As inauguration for the new Electro Tech Online High Voltage forum, here is an awesome video of the most magnificent HV device: The Tesla Coil.

YouTube - BIGGG TESLA COIL OF OKLAHOMA

Here is a bit of technical information

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...sla_coil_3.svg
Oudin Coil


And THE BEST is reserved for the end!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1O2jcfOylU

I DON'T SUGGEST YOU TO BUILD THIS DEVICE

Be thankful they're in the middle of a sparsely populated area. A coil that large probably blacks out the AM band within a few dozen miles, every amateur radio operator on the wider AM band probably had a noise floor increase or outright blackout within a few hundred miles. And since it's at night, if you knew what you were listening for you could probably have picked it up from 500+ miles.

I understand the fascination with high voltage like this, but it serves no function... It's like fire, there are pyro's that just want to burn things down and make bright lights, and there are artists that want to use to proper application of explosions to perform a needed and useful functions like building destruction and mining, or controlled forest fire burns to prevent the spread of wild fires. Or proper use of high voltages and currents, such as a welder, EDM machining, plating, plasma sputtering and the like.

I know that all sounds a little cheesy, but why is often more important than how, or what. Einstein said as much on several occasions. These toys are cool to watch, but isn't it cooler to do something with that large power, rather than just creating and audio and light show?

I often thing these types of things are overlooked on technical forums, buried in people demanding results and answers to their questions and projects rather than the why of what they're doing.

Originally Posted by Sceadwian

I know that all sound a little cheesy, but why is often more important than how, or what. Einstein said as much on several occasions.

You are right, there is almost no useful application for a Tesla Coil other than entertainment (except on Tesla's days, when it was a somewhat viable form of data transmission along with other uses).

But as I said, is pure Entertainment. And again, the best is reserved for the end!

YouTube - Twin Musical Tesla Coils playing Mario Bros

Originally Posted by ElectroNerdy

Your suggestion should be heeded by the inexperienced, of course. But, for the experienced, it could be built.

I know. But the HV section disclaimer is not operating yet, so is a form of "protection"

Originally Posted by Menticol

You are absolutely right, there is no useful application for a Tesla Coil other than entertainment (except on Tesla's days, when it was a somewhat viable form of data transmission).

That is not quite true. Tesla coils are or were used to find small leaks in glass vacuum equipment. The test is usually done in a darkened room. The HF from the Tesla coil creates a plasma with the rarefied air at the leak and points to the leak. It is quite sensitive.

John

Edit: The units we used were about a foot long and looked like a large flashlight with a metal probe on the end.

Thanks John, I had no idea about that. Another "ancient" use was electrotherapy (circa 1900)

Originally Posted by Menticol

YouTube - Twin Musical Tesla Coils playing Mario Bros

Pure awesomeness. Can you simply change the frequency of pulses through the coil to produce a particular frequency and play music like that? I need to try this with a scaled-down version Preferrably from a low-current source which won't kill me

Look up Plasma speaker, same thing. Plenty of videos.

did none of you play RED ALERT 2? Tesla Coils served such a wonderful purpose! Zaaaap!!!