KVA on Broadway / General Chatting / Forums

Forums

4hv.org :: Forums :: General Chatting

« Previous topic | Next topic »

KVA on Broadway

previous 1 2 3 next

Move Thread

LAN_403

ragnar

Wed Sept 05 2007, 11:01PM

Registered Member #63 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 06:18AM
Location:
Posts: 1425

I worry a little about posting my 13.56MHz aspirations and the results -- on the last forum, I got the occasional private message and a lot of emails from people asking for schematics. 90% of the emails were from people who weren't even forum members, but had tripped across the discussion in a Google search!

One gentleman, after seeing my quadraphonic system (well, that didn't reach 13.56MHz, but he saw it as well anyway) had even indicated that he wanted to capitalize on my work. The problem with most of these people is that they saw a way to make money out of my projects (particularly in the amateur plasma-speaker community)... but didn't have the technical know-how and wanted me to help them replicate it (...that particular guy was only confident with valves).

I don't mind other people making a buck out of something they've seen me create or an idea I've waffled about. I take the full blame, because I put it on a public forum under a CC license (I don't know how enforceable the attribution/share-alike components are...), but I'd like to at least think that I'd be the first to profit from the fruits of my own mental labour.

I really do enjoy people saying "Why don't you...", "You could make it look like this..." and all the 'Ohh's and 'Ahh's I get when I occasionally post something remotely interesting. It's a natural incentive for me to keep doing it and keep sharing it! It's fun, and it even has the bonus of making my head bigger... but sometimes I do wonder if I'm shooting myself in both feet, if I ever wanted to make a small living off it later.

Steve Conner

Wed Sept 05 2007, 11:02PM

Registered Member #30 Joined: Fri Feb 03 2006, 10:52AM
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Posts: 6706

Hmm, well to answer Finn's question, I had nothing to do with kVA Effects' new solid-state coil. But the other Steve seems to have been really busy lately:

Capper

Thu Sept 06 2007, 01:09AM

Registered Member #914 Joined: Fri Jul 20 2007, 06:22PM
Location: South Bend, IN
Posts: 85

Steve Conner wrote ...

Hmm, well to answer Finn's question, I had nothing to do with kVA Effects' new solid-state coil. But the other Steve seems to have been really busy lately:

I'm going to go hide under a rock now [crawls away shaking his head and mumbling....].

Steve Ward

Thu Sept 06 2007, 03:55AM

Registered Member #146 Joined: Sun Feb 12 2006, 04:21AM
Location: Austin Tx
Posts: 1055

Doh, i knew that would eventually show up. I too have no connection to kVA. That rather aggressive website with my coils is related to me, but i didnt make it. That site would suggest we are going into full production to sell tesla coils to anyone on the street... that will certainly NOT be the case. The site is to get potential customers (museums and some areas of entertainment are my target). In fact, probably only a few (maybe 10) units will ever be made for sale - enough to help pay my living expenses before i can get a "real" job.

Some people really took offense when they saw that i might sell DRSSTCs, but since ive done just as much advancement on the technology as the next guy (without with holding any information) i sure hope no one wants to flame me for it. Of course, selling these things is so far off anyway that it may never even happen. With 5 ECE courses this semester, im surprised im spending time to post on 4hv while my dinner cooks in the oven.

Hazmatt_(The Underdog)

Thu Sept 06 2007, 05:34AM

Registered Member #135 Joined: Sat Feb 11 2006, 12:06AM
Location: Anywhere is fine
Posts: 1735

If you're going to make a video public accessable, just make sure you're in it! I did, and nobody can pretend that they're me unless they have a Pyro Spectaculars shirt (which few people do ha).

Steve Conner

Thu Sept 06 2007, 09:37AM

Registered Member #30 Joined: Fri Feb 03 2006, 10:52AM
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Posts: 6706

Steve, I certainly am not about to flame you for it :P I'd just be worried about the safety and liability issues of marketing Tesla coils. Personally, I'm worried enough that I've never sold complete working coils, just subassemblies, and I've never advertised either: I only deal with people that I know and trust. Then again, that means I do hardly any business and make next to no money out of HV :(

Finn Hammer

Thu Sept 06 2007, 05:29PM

Registered Member #205 Joined: Sat Feb 18 2006, 11:59AM
Location: SkÃ¸rping, Denmark
Posts: 741

Steve,

I wish you all the luck with your new endevour into professional coiling.

I also try to make a buck out of HV, and all my electronic skills have been learned in these groups. But I still try to give as much back to the community as I am able to.

About TTR, I think that it takes a guy with Jeff`s set of skills to get the kind of jobs that he gets. I admire that his coils appear where they do. The logistics, the lawyers, the liability--- we cannot take that from him, he is an ace at just that.

I thought he was arrogant to make the remarks he did about Steve and Terry, and I felt like going into a discussion about it, but decided that it was none of my buisness, after all.

These groups are a big part of my life, and I will feel it as a great loss if they disappear, so let`s be good and stick together.

Cheers, Finn Hammer

Tesladownunder

Thu Sept 06 2007, 06:32PM

Registered Member #10 Joined: Thu Feb 02 2006, 09:45AM
Location: Bunbury, Australia
Posts: 1424

I have deliberately decided to keep this as a hobby. I make my museum displays for free for example. Some times, money comes my way in small amounts.
I have probably made about AUD$1000 in total. Most of this was from BMW for the Tesla Envy video.
There are a few donations and I charge $10 for magazines when they want hi res copy of my pics.

The last thing I want to do (I think) is to get bogged down making stuff for other people for a small income, when there are so many new things that I will never have time to do.

I guess that of my new ideas that are incubated, less than 10% ever make it to production. Most are the rest come out of a good idea one weekend. There is so much to do without putting it into a profit and loss statement.

Good luck to people who make a buck at this like Jeff Parisse, Dr Res etc. I must admit I get a little tired of long trips to do maintenance on museum equipment.
People with a publishing bent like EVR should be rightfully proud of their achievments although it is not likely to be a "day job" I imagine.
Steve Ward has a unique opportunity to capitalise on his 800,000 views of his Duckon efforts. A bit of pro shot video of his coils with good lighting with Steves face in the equation would be something worth considering (while dinner is cooking).

TDU

Simon

Fri Sept 07 2007, 12:26AM

Registered Member #32 Joined: Sat Feb 04 2006, 08:58AM
Location: Australia
Posts: 549

BlackPlasma wrote ...

but sometimes I do wonder if I'm shooting myself in both feet, if I ever wanted to make a small living off it later.

I think the experience you get helps you earn a lot more money later. I wouldn't worry about it.

I spent a lot of my teens writing tutorials and hanging out on webforums explaining stuff. I earnt nothing from it but I enjoyed it. Now I have cosy work tutoring science and maths to students. If I'd never done anything that didn't make a buck, I'd be in an office job now.

Carbon_Rod

Fri Sept 07 2007, 04:59PM

Registered Member #65 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 06:43AM
Location:
Posts: 1155

As Steve said, NDAs are a real issue when it comes to design disclosure. Many companies also require various levels of NATO clearance for certain facilities. Even if one accidentally breaches that agreement it could still mean jail time in addition to a failed career. Academic institutional protection for disclosure is very nice too (yet some people are trying to commercialize the papers too) ;p

I hate non-product related patents as they limit potential growth, but everyone likes the patent databases for disclosure of (relatively 50% correct) information....

Was there not a recent prankster that used a loop hole in Australian law to re-patent the wheel... (

)

previous 1 2 3 next

Moderator(s): Chris Russell, Noelle, Alex, Tesladownunder, Dave Marshall, Dave Billington, Bjørn, Steve Conner, Wolfram, Kizmo, Mads Barnkob