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From: keithd@cadovax.UUCP (Keith Doyle)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Tesla coils
Message-ID: <1254@cadovax.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 12-Dec-86 14:42:36 EST
Article-I.D.: cadovax.1254
Posted: Fri Dec 12 14:42:36 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 15-Dec-86 20:54:57 EST
References: <6824@decwrl.DEC.COM> <221@netxcom.UUCP>
Reply-To: keithd@cadovax.UUCP (Keith Doyle)
Organization: Contel Business Systems, Torrance, CA
Lines: 76

In article <221@netxcom.UUCP> ewiles@netxcom.UUCP (Edwin Wiles) writes:
>>  Tesla's notes from his Colorado Lab were (as I recall)
>>seized by the Government at the time of his death and those
>>that weren't given to the Czechoslovakian Government are
>>still sealed away.
>>
>Would anyone know WHY the government would do this?  I don't remember
>anything about Tesla coils or his form of 'broadcast' power that is
>especially dangerous, or useful in war.  As for the potential of using
>it for broadcast power, I remember that either it didn't work too well,
>or there was no way to keep unauthorized persons from tapping into the
>supply without paying.  (Not sure which it was, might be both!)

'Broadcast' power was only ONE of many, many, inventions that Tesla was
working on.  There were rumors of some kind of 'death ray' type technology
that were never substantiated, as well as various other ideas that I suppose
could be applied in wartime.

In addition, 'broadcast' power could possibly have an effect of a Radio
blackout, a powerful enough Tesla power transmitter might be designed that
would have the effect of generating enough noise worldwide that would make
radio communications difficult.

It is interesting to note, that Tesla, recently credited with the invention
of radio (rather than the previously believed Marconi) lived at a time and
with appropriate knowledge to make minute measurements on the 'background'
radio emmisions of the Earth.  You may have heard the radio transmissions
from Saturn picked up by Voyager.  The Earth emits radio noise too, but
unfortunately, we could never now get all the radio and TV stations, and
CB radios to SHUT UP long enough to make much in the way of measurements
of the Earths background emissions.  

From such measurments, and from observations of lightning activity at
Colorado Springs (something like the most electrically active place on the
face of the Earth), he deduced the resonant frequency of the Earth itself
(I don't remember what it is exactly, but somewhere between 0 and 1 hertz).

Using this knowledge, he designed his 'power without wires' system, that
may have worked effectively by inducing the Earth's magnetosphere into
resonance.  With such a system, one could sink an antenna into the ground
anywhere on the surface of the Earth, and tap into this source of power.
Or at least so Tesla thought.

Whether or not this scheme would actually work, we may never know.  It's 
kind of too late now, as it is probably incompatible with our present use
of radio frequency transmissions, as such a power transmission system 
would most likely wreak havoc on radio and T.V. all over the world.
It is certain that Tesla was convinced of its viability, though his
financial patron J. P. Morgan pulled the plug, because there was no
economic advantage to 'free' power (and how do you 'meter' peoples
use of power, when all they have to do is sink a simple antenna?).

Not only that, it is not clear in my mind that enough 'antennas' tapping
into this 'seemingly limitless' source of 'free' energy, wouldn't actually
tax the 'exiteing circuit' i.e. the Tesla coil driving the resonant tank
circuit (the Earth).

But, it is fun to think about.  I wonder if there will ever be a human being
on this earth who has the kind of understanding of 'resonance' that Tesla
must have had.  He demonstrated the ability to virtually raze buildings to
the ground with a small tapping device that would cause the resonance to
build up in a building to the point of collapse.  How he knew where to 'tap'
on a building, and at what frequency is beyond me, but it is sure interesting
to think about such things.

For more information on Nikola Tesla, read 'Man out of Time' by Margaret Cheney
one of the better Tesla biographies, (and perhaps the only one still in print).
It recounts the 'war' between Tesla and Edison over AC vs DC power, (Edison
publically electrocuted various animals with AC to show how *dangerous* it
was, including dogs, a horse and an ELEPHANT! {I've seen the elephant on 
film}) and various anecdotes involving his friendship with Samuel Clemens.


Keith Doyle
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