| Author | Message | ||
     Jim Wolf (Wolfj2) New member Username: Wolfj2 Post Number: 1 Registered: 7-2005 |
Hello everyone. After reading many many websites about electrostatic bells, I decided to build the real thing. I have 10 acres of land, so I built this contraption well away from our house. My bells don't seem to want to ring... here is my setup. I have a 4x4 post sunk into the ground. It's a 12 foot post. Next to the post I have a 9foot long copper grounding rod sunk into the ground. It has a large copper cable attached to it. At the top of the post, I have a 6-foot long copper 'antenna' with a large copper wire attached. I have hung 2 solid brass bells to a side post. Each bell is about 4 inches in diameter. Each copper wire is attached to a bell. The bells are 4 inches apart. I have a heavy brass ball, hanging from fishing line between the bells. We have had storms in the area, with some very close, and I have never seen the ball move. Is the brass ball to heavy? Are the bells to far apart? Can anyone help me? I can send photos of my experiment to anyone who needs to see my setup. Now, we have had VERY humid days during all of the storms - dew points around 70 degrees. Is this the problem? Thanks! Jim | ||
| Simon Quellen Field (Sfield) Senior Member Username: Sfield Post Number: 582 Registered: 12-2004 |
It sounds like you haven't insulated the bells from the ground or from one another. One bell should be grounded. The other bell should be connected to a high voltage source (in your case, the lightning rod). The lightning rod must not be connected to the ground -- current must get to ground by jumping from one bell to the other, by way of the ball. This implies that the bell connected to the lightning rod must also not be connected to ground. A wet wooden post is a good conductor at these voltages. Use PVC pipe, and make sure it isn't wet or dirty. The ball should be light weight, so little charge is needed to make it move. |
