Xref: utzoo rec.boats:4208 sci.physics:13836 sci.electronics:13227 Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!tsdiag!davet From: davet@tsdiag.ccur.com (Dave Tiller N2KAU) Newsgroups: rec.boats,sci.physics,sci.electronics Subject: Re: St Elmo's Fire (was Re: Lightning) Keywords: Induction, space charge, capacitance, point action Message-ID: <1048@tsdiag.ccur.com> Date: 30 Jul 90 18:57:05 GMT References: <1990Jul18.111525.5749@ioe.lon.ac.uk> <2139@gould.doc.ic.ac.uk> Organization: Concurrent Computer Corp. Oceanport NJ Lines: 26 In article <2139@gould.doc.ic.ac.uk> tmp@doc.ic.ac.uk (Trevor Peacock) writes: - - kimf@arrester.caltech.edu (Kim Dorian Flowers) writes: -> -> Anyway of hooking up to this potential difference and drawing some -> energy from it? :) -> -> Kim Flowers - -Well, I seem to remember reading how experimenters in the early days obtained -their high voltage supplies from insulated wires held aloft on poles and strung -across the countryside. The end of the wire was brought into the lab and -connected to a metal sphere to hold the charge. There was mention that the -charge increased significantly when it was snowing. - Amen to the increase in static potential when snowing!! I got the BeJesus shocked outta me when I reached over to tune my 10m Amateur radio whilst traveling on a _metal_ suspension bridge (Del. Mem). I figured at the time the snow added to the static buildup by imagining all of those snowflakes hitting my antenna and losing electrons as they slipped past. Ouch!!! -- David E. Tiller davet@tsdiag.ccur.com | Concurrent Computer Corp. FAX: 201-870-5952 Ph: (201) 870-4119 (w) | 2 Crescent Place, M/S 117 UUCP: ucbvax!rutgers!petsd!tsdiag!davet | Oceanport NJ, 07757 ICBM: 40 16' 52" N 73 59' 00" W | N2KAU @ NN2Z