Jacob's Ladder problem.

[JANA]

I have measured the UV from a high voltage arch. The arc using wires puts
out far less UV than from using carbon rods for an example. The arch is
perfectly safe as long as someone does not touch it, or put anything
flammable in to it.

A number of years ago, I build a 4 foot high Tesla coil in the basement. I
used a 20 kV neon sign transformer as the power source.

--

JANA
_____

The only issue with this type of project, is that it can be very
dangerous of touched while running.

Wow, I hope nobody new building one read that! How about the UV frying
your eyes? Starting fires, blowing fuses, killing the dog, and ruining
your ears (if you have big caps on it)? There are a million ways high
voltage can destroy your family - although the most common way is for
you to spend all your time on it until the wifey divorces you. If it's
fun, it might kill you. This is the rule of life.

 

[Al]

I have measured the UV from a high voltage arch. The arc using wires puts
out far less UV than from using carbon rods for an example. The arch is
perfectly safe as long as someone does not touch it, or put anything
flammable in to it.

A number of years ago, I build a 4 foot high Tesla coil in the basement. I
used a 20 kV neon sign transformer as the power source.

I built a Jacobs Ladder using an oil burner transformer and a cut up
coat hanger. Works great! No electronics needed! Makes the AM radio
sing ;-)

Al

 

[Don Stauffer]

I built a Jacobs Ladder using an oil burner transformer and a cut up
coat hanger. Works great! No electronics needed! Makes the AM radio
sing ;-)

Al

For my masters thesis I worked with an induction heated argon plasma-
4Kw at first, and then a new transmitter that was 15Kw. That thing
REALLY put out the UV- we had to wear double welding glasses, and got
sunburns on exposed flesh real quickly.

 

[Don Stauffer]

induction heated plasma - is that what you het when you stick a
lighted candle in a microwave oven?

Bye.
Jasen

No need to even light it first! But we had a starting rod that drew an
arc. The arc got things going, then we could withdraw rod.

 

[default]

I have measured the UV from a high voltage arch.

I used to play with a lot of TC's and Sparks etc. I had several very
expensive spectrophotometers at my disposal and tried to see how much
UV is output . . .

I concluded that the electrodes make a big difference. Use a "pure"
electrode - that doesn't get involved (as a vapor) with the arc and
you might be at risk.

As the vapor of the metal in the electrodes becomes part of the arc .
.. . it protects you from the UV. Use tungsten or platinum (good
quenching in a TC spark exciter) and the UV from the spark gap is much
greater than copper or zinc. From our experiments.

Seems to me: If one is "seeing" a clean blue flame /plasma/spark, you
may be looking at a harmful amount of UV, from the results of our
experiments with spectrophotometers . . . Never judge a light by what
you can see . . . pale blue, may be bad for vision (in a year or two -
not immediately)

And every one of the plastic "safety glasses" I had to play with
stopped UV transmission; so plastic safety glasses might be a good
idea.

Likewise ozone is another substance that you shouldn't take for
granted. You may get a faint whiff from an electric drill or big DC
motor and you may (will) smell the same stuff from a Tesla coil.

Problem is, the human nose can detect it in very small quantities but
in much higher concentrations the detected odor doesn't increase
proportionately. - not from any experiments I did - just from
reading the literature after getting a whiff of pure hydrogen
sulphide.

Hydrogen sulphide causes "respiratory distress" or just a sudden case
of pneumonia. One lesson learned - don't trust your senses to tell
you that you're risking your health.

Learned to fly? First thing you should have learned is to trust the
compass and artificial horizon. Senses are only as good - for what
nature intended.

Millions of years of evolution give you the means to survive the
natural planet - change the rules with technology, and you must adapt
or perish.

Take nothing for granted. I don't care who said it or "proved" it.
Check it for your self.