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Re: 100 meter sparks - 'Prodical Genius' book tells otherwi


From: 	richard hull[SMTP:rhull-at-richmond.infi-dot-net]
Sent: 	Wednesday, October 29, 1997 5:47 PM
To: 	Tesla List
Subject: 	Re: 100 meter sparks - 'Prodical Genius' book tells otherwi


>I too can confirm that and by Tesla's own hand no less. In the latter 
>part of CSN near the photos he talked about 50-odd feet *from a 
>streamer tip on one side of the coil to a streamer tip on the 
>opposite side*. He didn't mention the 8' of coil diameter in between. 
>He then speculated that if he unravelled all the twists and curls in 
>the sparks he might get around 100' but that doesn't count in the 
>point-to-point stakes.
>
>Malcolm
>

Good man malcolm!!!

I have this part isolated in all of my three copies of the CSN ( I marked up
and cut up a couple of copies during my research for my book on the
subject!)  I was not going to quote it, but left the thrill to some astute
Tesla list guy to find it.  It was no surprise to me that our ever faithful
and careful Malcom Watts ferreted this out of the CSN.

This is the key....The rosetta stone.....  This was what launched the rocket
that has torn through the lore like so many other things which went from a
carefully and specifically worded Tesla delivered statement to a carte
blanche for any and all writers to elimenate 95% of the statement and just
say "100 foot spark".  There was never room for such a spark in the entire
little cramped Colorado Laboratory... DIAGONALLY FROM CORNER TO CORNER!!!
(THE MAIN CHAMBER OF THE LAB WAS ONLY ABOUT 60 FOOT SQUARE!).

It must be remembered that the Colorado Springs notes are all we have on the
matter.  What is so wounderful is that it was put down in Tesla's own hand
each afternoon describing the previous day's work!  Tesla wrote it while it
was fresh!  He was most specific.  All one has to do is read every word.
Tesla was not lying.  He used over 4 different methods of describing his
arcs and these varied according to his whim, but always, he was most specific.

For convenience we Tesla coilers have set a sort of defacto standard for arc
measurement.  This is to generally adopt the shortest straight line path for
an arc from point of emission to the farthest point of contact or touch
down.  This is the proper way to describe sparks from a coil.  Most of
Tesla's descriptions are specifically of this type as he notes the "longest
straight line path" for several spark length quotes. (Which, by the way, are
pretty whimpy for the size system he was operating)  Other times, he uses
the total distance if all twists and turns are taken into account.
(valueless except in giving an idea of the tortured path of arcs in air.)
In this one single instance he really stretched out the system to be the
greatest sparking "circle" diameter and then added the "let's straighten the
whole dual ribbon diameter arcs out to straight paths."  Since this was his
largest pronouncement in print, this stuck.

For the common joe putz on the street, this is fine.  He thinks 6" arcs are
lethal.  6", 6 feet, 6000 feet its all bad ole electricity.  Only we coilers
are sticklers what what is really a measure of "performance".  Tesla's
system was not a particularly hot performer either for its size or power
input.  It was an incredible performer considering when he did the work and
what he had to do it with!!!!!!  Also, big machines don't perform as well as
smaller ones when looked at for enrgy in versus spark length output.

Richard Hull, TCBOR