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Re: tuning more accurately than 5% (fwd)
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 18 Jul 1998 23:20:06 -0700 (PDT)
From: Michael Nolley <mhnolley-at-willamette.edu>
To: Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Cc: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: tuning more accurately than 5% (fwd)
> I fully agree... Perhaps a better use of mathematical models is to predict
> the "general" behavior changes in response to changes, i.e. are big or
> small toploads better, rather than is a 60.12 pF topload better than a
> 60.14 pF load. And, of course, it is always nice if the theory corresponds
> (at least in order of magnitude (which is a LOT bigger) than 5%) with the
> empirical data.
>
> For myself, the physicist in me wants to understand how and why it works
> the way it does for which the theoretical discussion is interesting, the
> engineer in me just wants to see it make big sparks with the least effort
> and just a bit of guidance from theory (and avoid that "analysis
> paralysis". And, I'm not a craftsman, so I'm not going to try and get the
> last 0.001% out of it. If I want bigger sparks, I'll build a bigger coil.
>
The physicist and the engineer are the two sides of this coin I
have been referring to, the analytical and creative aspects of TC
science-- perhaps a little like Tesla and Edison-- the question is--
if both sides are indespensible to each other-- how did Tesla himself
conceive of the Tesla coil first, theory or experimentation? There are
accounts of him recieving a "vision" about the operation of the AC motor
in Prague in 1896-- was Tesla primarily a theoretical or an experimental
genius? I don't know much about his handbooks/ journals etc. Perhaps
one of you could enlighten me.
--Mike