With a bad turbo and before I tear it apart again, I decided why not hook up the HV and try to strike a plasma for the first time along the lines of Richard's plasma cleaning FAQ.
At 50 microns, it was amazingly easy. Lit the whole thing up purple.
On another note, I have an old 250 lb. Universal Voltronics/Labtrol power supply. Polarity switchable. Everything seemed to work fine. Only played with it making a coronal discharge on the concrete floor set to positive in the past so far. Now that I had it to negative tonight, I first thought the gauges(kV and mA) weren't working suddenly. Then, I realized they were trying to move backwards from zero. Only on negative polarity- both gauges work fine on positive polarity. Am I missing something? Something burned out, stuck or broken?
First plasma
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David Kunkle
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First plasma
If your experiment needs statistics, you ought to have done a better experiment.
Ernest Rutherford
Ernest Rutherford
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Richard Hull
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Re: First plasma
Wow! I would have thought a switchable supply polarity mechanism would do the meters too! However, I assume you do not have the original manual that went with this fine monster rig. I am sure that would have told the complete story on polarity switching ritual.
I hate hazarding a guess on this, but you may have to go into the unit and follow the metering leads.....Look for a small plug board somewhere to reverse the metering. You may ultimately have to just loosen the meter lugs on both meters and reverse them. This is last resort, though and without looking at the circuit diagram, probably not the best idea without more data.
As a matter of historical fact, back in the 60's the original Farnsworth fusor effort used a 55 gallon drum, tanked Universal Voltronics supply in their lab in Fort Wayne.
Richard Hull
I hate hazarding a guess on this, but you may have to go into the unit and follow the metering leads.....Look for a small plug board somewhere to reverse the metering. You may ultimately have to just loosen the meter lugs on both meters and reverse them. This is last resort, though and without looking at the circuit diagram, probably not the best idea without more data.
As a matter of historical fact, back in the 60's the original Farnsworth fusor effort used a 55 gallon drum, tanked Universal Voltronics supply in their lab in Fort Wayne.
Richard Hull
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
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David Kunkle
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Re: First plasma
Yeah, no manual with it and zero info on a google search.
It would seem idiotic to have a switchable supply by a simple knob on the front, and yet not have the meters work on one of the polarities. That's why I assumed something was wrong inside. I have been looking at the guts a fair bit already, trying to identify everything. Certainly does not seem to be any plug board to reverse the meters. Be easier to take off the front panel to get at the meters than from the main rear access. From what I can see, it's a real plate of spaghetti coming off the meters.
Otherwise, it seems to be in very good condition. The air filter looks as though it could be original, and it's about spotless. It does have an old, oxidized sticker on the side that says Argonne National Laboratory with "S.P. Spare" penciled in. Bought it from a picker in WI who said he bought it at an auction because he thought it was interesting.
It would seem idiotic to have a switchable supply by a simple knob on the front, and yet not have the meters work on one of the polarities. That's why I assumed something was wrong inside. I have been looking at the guts a fair bit already, trying to identify everything. Certainly does not seem to be any plug board to reverse the meters. Be easier to take off the front panel to get at the meters than from the main rear access. From what I can see, it's a real plate of spaghetti coming off the meters.
Otherwise, it seems to be in very good condition. The air filter looks as though it could be original, and it's about spotless. It does have an old, oxidized sticker on the side that says Argonne National Laboratory with "S.P. Spare" penciled in. Bought it from a picker in WI who said he bought it at an auction because he thought it was interesting.
I feel even closer to Dr. Farnsworth now. (And, no actually, I'm not kidding) Hey, maybe this belonged to him at some time-Illinois is right next to Indiana. It's probably old enough, too!Richard Hull wrote:As a matter of historical fact, back in the 60's the original Farnsworth fusor effort used a 55 gallon drum, tanked Universal Voltronics supply in their lab in Fort Wayne.
If your experiment needs statistics, you ought to have done a better experiment.
Ernest Rutherford
Ernest Rutherford
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David Kunkle
- Posts: 285
- Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2014 12:43 pm
- Real name: David Kunkle
Re: First plasma
If your experiment needs statistics, you ought to have done a better experiment.
Ernest Rutherford
Ernest Rutherford