Question:
Why did Tesla make his coil in the first place? What was it that he was trying to accomplish?
Other than just the fun of making one, do they have any practical purposes?
Answer
Question: Did Tesla invent the fluorescent light?
Answer
Question:
I grew up in
Colorado Springs, and remember hearing all sorts of stories about Tesla.
One rumor I heard involved Tesla and some sort of weather control
device. Have you heard this story, or found any substantiation?
Answer
Question:
I am currently building a Tesla coil. Do you have any suggestions where to source
materials and components such as high voltage power supply transformers?
Answer
Question:
Have you ever been to Griffith Observatory in L.A., California? We have a Tesla Coil that we obtained
in 1935 from a carnival. This has always been one of the most popular exhibits in the Observatory.
We demonstrate the T-Coil by having patrons hold a fluorescent tube (which lights up, of course) as we
fire up the "lightning machine." We also demonstrate an "electric kiss" by having couples make a small
gap between their lips as one of the partners touch a nail near the T-Coil (A tiny spark jumps from lip
to lip). There are a few other things we do, and I'm always trying to come up with something new. Do you have any suggestions? Thank you!
P.S. I always make people listen to my history of Tesla before I show them any tricks. Unfortunately,
most people don't care about the history; they just want to see the "lightning". This is the reality,
and that's why I'm asking for any "tricks." When I do tricks, the people get more interested and even
listen for a few seconds.
Answer
Question: My 12kv/90ma spark gap
Tesla coil (SGTC) is nearing completion and I was thinking that I could do some sort of experiment with wireless power transmission.
I recall someone talking about rigging up another coil to attach to a
light bulb which could be lit up from a fairly significant distance.
I've researched this a bit but I can't find anything about Tesla coil
transmitters and receiving coils, and using them to light up light
bulbs. Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Answer
Question: I understand that Nikola Tesla proposed a
wireless transmission system that used electrical conduction instead of
radio waves. This method was put forth in his U.S. Patents No. 645,576 and 649,621
where he mentions a 15-mile high antenna wire. It seems to me that
the obstacles to building such an elevated structure would be insurmountable, as all existing materials would self-destruct from their own weight, although a fiber of carbon nanotubes might come close.
Add to this the shearing forces and whipping stresses by existing winds up to 80,000 ft. and no, the materials to build such "antennas" which did not exist in Tesla's time, still do not exist.
What could he have been thinking?
Answer
Question: I remember reading
somewhere that Tesla had successfully transmitted electrical power through the
earth. Can you fill me in on the details of this astonishing
achievement?
Answer
Question: Wasn't Tesla
researching the broadcast of power in his last project?
Answer
Question: I read a 1917 story,
"U. S.
Blows Up Tesla Radio Tower," about the destruction of
Wardenclyffe which suggests that Tesla said he had no interest in wireless
communications, and that he only wanted to transmit power for electric
lights and motors. If what he said was true, he rather shot himself in the foot.
Answer
Question: I'm reading Tesla's Colorado Springs
Notes and was wondering if you could clarify a couple of points.
What would allow electricity to be transmitted
through
the earth to great distances as Tesla proposed without loss of power?
Also, are there any pictures of his rotating coherers?
Answer
Question:
I'm interested in the theory behind how the Wardenclyffe tower would have operated.
The transmission of power through a distance, through thin air is a mystery to me—not to mention being able to direct the energy flow to specific points on the globe!
Were there smaller projects or demonstrations which demonstrated this effect?
How do you defeat the "loss of power over a distance" phenomena? If this thing works, it just seems "dumb" not to develop
it (pardon my attitude). Please clue me
in!!
Answer
Question: Can
you explain, within accepted laws of
physics, what was Tesla was trying to accomplish at Colorado Springs and on Long Island?
Answer
Question:
I heard that part
of Tesla's transmitter is still in a pit near the Wardenclyffe building
and that it was designed so it could be raised or lowered for tuning.
Is
this true?
Answer
Question: What
is the difference between present day low-frequency wireless transmitters and Tesla's
system? When used as a
wireless transmitter how does the performance/efficiency and characteristics
of an electrical oscillator change when working with a sphere capacitor antenna,
rather than working with a conventional monopole antenna?
Answer
Question: Who improved the
early spark-gap transmitter design allowing much higher levels of
radio-frequency power output?
Answer
Question:
Could you briefly
summarize Tesla's invention of radio and the Supreme Court case of Tesla
vs. Marconi? Marconi is mistakenly identified in every history book as
the inventor of Radio. Thanks.
Answer
Question:
I am teaching a class on telephone wiring and was wondering if you could answer this question. Why does
the gauge # decrease as diameter increases in wires?
Answer
Question: What are the
electrical conductivity and resistivity for some the various metals and
alloys?
Answer