TC & Lightning

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

Original poster: "Gary Weaver" <gary350-at-earthlink-dot-net> 



As we all know a tesla coil will light up a florescent light bulb from
several feet away.  My 4" coil will light up a light bulb from 15 ft away
and my 10" coil will light up a light bulb from 40 ft away.   More power
more distance.  If I move the light bulb close the the TC it glows all the
time.  If I get far away from the TC the light bulb flashes only when there
is a discharge spark.   I was watching TV and I could see lighting static
on the picture.  I knew a storm was not to far away.   As it turned out the
storm was about 40 miles away.  That gave me an idea.  I flew a kite on a
piece of #24 enamel coated copper wire about 150 ft of wire attached to the
end of a florescent light bulb that was stuck in the ground.  The storm was
about 10 miles away and every time there was lighting in the storm the
florescent light bulb would flash.  As the storm got closer and closer the
light bulb flashed brighter and brighter.  When the storm was about 3 miles
away the light bulb glowed all the time.  That is very interesting because
that is exactly what the Tesla Coil does.  The storm got closer, the wind
picked up, the kite crashed, it started to rain and I went in the house.

Gary Weaver