Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!trwind!venice!greene
From: greene@venice.SEDD.TRW.COM (John Greene)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Anyone know about arc generators? `ffzzapp'
Message-ID: <286@venice.SEDD.TRW.COM>
Date: 30 Jan 90 21:13:03 GMT
References: <5237@vax1.tcd.ie>
Reply-To: greene@venice.sedd.trw.com (John Greene)
Organization: TRW System Engineering and Development Division
Lines: 24

In article <5237@vax1.tcd.ie> jfsenior@vax1.tcd.ie (K.) writes:
>
>Can anyone give me DETAILS of how to build an arc generator, such as is seen
>in science fiction film of the 30/40's etc.
>
>I call it an arc generator, but I expect that is incorrect....
>                                                ------
It's called 'Jacob's Ladder' and is quite easy to build.  Take two pieces
of heavy gage wire (clothes hanger) or even copper piping and one neon
transformer.   I have a 12kv, 30ma transformer which does the job nicely.
Attach each wire to each of the tranformers outputs and bend them such that
they are close enough on the bottom for and arc to jump across and then
gradually separate them as they go up, with the power off of course.  The
heat from the arc carries it up to the top where it breaks and a new one 
starts at the bottom.  Good for about 3 minutes of entertainment.  

....now where did I put that tesla coil.......


-- 
John E. Greene    "People are just like frankfurters....You have to decide
                   if you're going to be a hot dog or just another wiener" DLR
TRW Systems Engineering and Development Division
ARPA: greene@venice.sedd.TRW.COM  USENET: ..trwrb!venice!greene