Hood ornament

[zachtheterrible]

This idea popped into my head as i was driving down the freeway. How bout a jacob's ladder for a hood ornament :lol: :twisted:

You've gotta admit it would be pretty cool. Totally original.

Yup, its a bad idea. Reasons not to:
1. Interference
2. Some idiot will put his fingers in it

 

[MrMikey83]

2. Some idiot will put his fingers in it

Nah, just have it turn off when the car is off, or maybe on only when the car is moving. Doubt someone will jump on the hood of your car going 55MPh on the highway. :lol:

How much interference would this cause anyway? Couldn't you put the electronics as far away from vehicle electronics as possible? Would shielding be possible?

Very cool idea though.

 

[ThermalRunaway]

What's a Jacob's ladder?

 

[fsahmed]

Pardon my ignorance, but what exactly is a Jacob's ladder?

 

[Agent 009]

Yeah, what's that?

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

I'm rather amazed that three members of these forums should ask such a question?.

But I'm even more amazed that they don't just do a google search and find out all about it!.

Don't ask silly trivial questions, use google (or another search engine) and find it yourself!.

 

[Agent 009]

I'm rather amazed that three members of these forums should ask such a question?.

But I'm even more amazed that they don't just do a google search and find out all about it!.

Don't ask silly trivial questions, use google (or another search engine) and find it yourself!.

Euh, as I thought, the Jacob's Ladder looks like a "local" term... I'm having a hard time finding it using google :? :roll: ...

 

[ThermalRunaway]

Nigel - this is the **** chat forum. The point is, to **** chat about stuff. Therefore, why not ask the question - it keeps the conversation going. As it happens I did do a google before posting my reply, because I've heard of a jacob's ladder but wasn't sure what it was. The return I got explained that it was some kind of ancient illusion toy made out of hinged bits of wood? I read the article but having done so I still don't have a clear idea of what it does and I'm even more confused about why it's such a good idea to mount one on a car.

Brian

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Euh, as I thought, the Jacob's Ladder looks like a "local" term... I'm having a hard time finding it using google :? :roll: ...

Not at all, a google for "jacobs ladder" finds 142,000 hits!. The one at the top of the page explains all you need to know!.

 

[MrMikey83]

The return I got explained that it was some kind of ancient illusion toy made out of hinged bits of wood?

LOL, I used to have one of those.

Jacob's Ladder is two wires with a rising arc of electricity rising between them.
One page I visited said that you should have a glass shield so the wind doesn't disrupt the arc. Well, being on a moving car hood, I doubt even a glass tube would save the arc form extinguishing. Unless there is a way to totally enclose it in glass like a light bulb.
~Mike

 

[fsahmed]

Not at all, a google for "jacobs ladder" finds 142,000 hits!. The one at the top of the page explains all you need to know!.

Well, it goes like that searches dont always result in the same way. I asked the question after one & only after I failed to understand what would something that helped Jacob ascend to the heavens be doing on a car hood

 

[drrogla]

OK!!! A jacobs ladder is one of those old horror movie dr.Frankenstein effects...
A BIG spark travels across two prongs.
WARNING!!! High voltage stuff !!!WARNING

Jacobs ladder:
https://www.electricstuff.co.uk/jacobs.html

Fun with the Jacobs ladder:
https://www.electricstuff.co.uk/jacobphone.html

 

[ThermalRunaway]

Now I understand why it would be a bad idea for someone to stick their fingers in it

Brian

 

[JimB]

Zack!

Elsewhere you were wanting to cure the ignition noise etc on your CB.
What the hell do you think this would sound like!

JimB

 

[ThermalRunaway]

You don't get many CB users these days do you. I remember about 10 years ago when I was just a kid my Dad had one in his Land Rover and I used to sit for hours listening to the ****-chat that went on over it. I've got an old CB radio setup here in my workshop which is on all the time but it's rare I actually hear anyone transmitting.

Brian

 

[drrogla]

Yup, CB and amateur radio are in decline since the mobile phone came out.
People used to use it for communicating over distance, now its much easier to punch some numbers and get someone on the horn, than hoping the other party has his radio on. Only the really enthused stayed with it.

 

[zachtheterrible]

Zack!

Elsewhere you were wanting to cure the ignition noise etc on your CB.
What the hell do you think this would sound like!

JimB

Ha ha! yup, very true :lol: i wasnt actually serious about doing it. You know what is odd? There is a fry's electronics store right by where I live and out in the front they have two MASSIVE jacob's ladders (50ft tall) with an arc that stretches about 3 or 4 ft. Funny thing is, they have no faraday cage on it! Its just encased in glass that is tinted, maybe to keep UV from getting out or something. Hmm, maybe it is lead lined glass.

 

[Someone Electro]

What if it arced trough the glass? Truble for the shop ovner.

 

[drrogla]

Ha ha! yup, very true Laughing i wasnt actually serious about doing it. You know what is odd? There is a fry's electronics store right by where I live and out in the front they have two MASSIVE jacob's ladders (50ft tall) with an arc that stretches about 3 or 4 ft. Funny thing is, they have no faraday cage on it! Its just encased in glass that is tinted, maybe to keep UV from getting out or something. Hmm, maybe it is lead lined glass.

I think that that is as much protection as you need, because the arc mainly stays between the rods. and glass is a very good isolator.

 

[Someone Electro]

Oh yea none of the rods is grounded so its no problem.