Re: Christmas Tree Musings

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Peter Lawrence by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <Peter.Lawrence-at-Sun-dot-com>

I saw this email and the name Robert Golka triggered a memory from way back.
There was what I now think was a vacuum tube tesla coil powering a large
plasma sphere in a display at the Ruben H. Fleet theater in San Diego's
Balboa Park, and IIRC the cabinet had the name Robert Golka on it. This was
about 25 years ago, since then they have replaced it with a not-quite-as-
good one without any name on it.

I remember the name Golka because at the time I did not know anything about
tesla coils, but wanted to find out about this display device and wanted to
try to contact the person that built it.

1) does anyone know if the design for that particular VTTC and plasma globe
are still available anywhere,

2) are those large plasma spheres (about 18" diameter I'm guessing) still
available anywhere. I'm guessing it was filled with Xenon, because the sparks
where pure white. They were also very angular and branchy, not fuzzy nor
bushy like in most units you see retail these days.

thanks,
Peter Lawrence.

>
>Original poster: "Bert Hickman by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" 
<bert.hickman-at-aquila-dot-net>
>
>Robert and all,
>
>Robert Golka's system is not operational. The pieces of the original
>system currently reside in three semi-trailers in Leadville, CO... which
>IS at an elevation of ~11,000 feet.
>
>-- Bert --
>-- 
>Bert Hickman
>Stoneridge Engineering
>Email:    bert.hickman-at-aquila-dot-net
>Web Site: http://www.teslamania-dot-com
>
>Tesla list wrote:
>> 
>> Original poster: "S & J Young by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
><youngs-at-konnections-dot-net>
>> 
>> Robert,
>> 
>> I noticed that as well, but thought perhaps the Project Tesla experiment
>> would be done elsewhere and Golka's coil would be moved to the higher
>> elevation location.  Yes, Wendover is certainly not at 11,000 ff altitude.
>> --Steve
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
>> To: <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
>> Sent: Wednesday, December 26, 2001 10:57 AM
>> Subject: Re: Christmas Tree Musings
>> 
>> Original poster: "rheidlebaugh by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
>> <rheidlebaugh-at-zialink-dot-com>
>> 
>> I found your paper of great intrest. I have one small question. When I was
>> there at that time in wendover I dont remember seeing any weather baloons
>> holding a aircraft hanger 6000 ft above the salt flats when the tests were
>> made. Wendover is not 11000 ft alt. Maybe I could have missed something or I
>> could have forgotten a few details over the years, I am getting old.
>>    Robert  H
>
>
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