18 Jul 08
I had a misconception that the originals were powered by the static electricity around them.
I went to the Griffith park observatory and saw a room sized one which was nothing more than a room sized static globe that you plug in the wall.
What sort of use do Tesla coils have?
18 Jul 08
Originally posted by nihilismorToo bad you missed it. When I went they had a full tesla setup, million volt discharges and all. There was also one at the high voltage lag at Cal Tech, saw that in a hs trip. I really love the Griffith, been going there since my mom took me at the age of 5.
I had a misconception that the originals were powered by the static electricity around them.
I went to the Griffith park observatory and saw a room sized one which was nothing more than a room sized static globe that you plug in the wall.
What sort of use do Tesla coils have?
19 Jul 08
Originally posted by sonhouseI think possibly that is the one I am talking about. You could push a button to activate it. I guess I was underestimating about how cool it is.
Too bad you missed it. When I went they had a full tesla setup, million volt discharges and all. There was also one at the high voltage lag at Cal Tech, saw that in a hs trip. I really love the Griffith, been going there since my mom took me at the age of 5.
19 Jul 08
Originally posted by nihilismorJust out of curiosity, how else would you activate one? Have a great big crank that a tossled white haired lab coated PHd started cranking in the middle of a giant basement?
I think possibly that is the one I am talking about. You could push a button to activate it. I guess I was underestimating about how cool it is.
The Tesla coil is just a transformer but with a tiny difference in the output voltage🙂
There are other high voltage generators, you know about the Van De Graff generator? Google it if you are interested, generates hundreds of thousands of volts based on moving trapped static charges via a leather or rubber belt which is driven by a motor, low current so people do the hair sticking out trick when they get charged up a hundred thousand volts or so. I used to work with 200,000 volt power supplies on my previous line of work as an Ion Implant field service engineer. That was a trip.
19 Jul 08
1 edit
Originally posted by nihilismorIn Melbourne we have a nice show:
I had a misconception that the originals were powered by the static electricity around them.
I went to the Griffith park observatory and saw a room sized one which was nothing more than a room sized static globe that you plug in the wall.
What sort of use do Tesla coils have?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scienceworks_Museum_%28Melbourne%29
" The "lightning room" is a 120-seat auditorium that presents demonstrations about electricity, featuring a giant Tesla Coil, capable of generating two million volts of electricity, producing three metre lightning bolts."