Wrtting a Book About the HV Hobby / General Chatting / Forums

Forums

4hv.org :: Forums :: General Chatting

« Previous topic | Next topic »

Wrtting a Book About the HV Hobby

Move Thread

LAN_403

quicksilver

Fri May 09 2008, 04:12PM

Registered Member #1408 Joined: Fri Mar 21 2008, 03:49PM
Location: Oracle, AZ
Posts: 679

I wish someone with strong background would write a book directed toward the HV hobby with newer information and related sourcing. It could simply take the format of a "coffee table" book; large with emphasis on graphics, etc. or a deeper break-down of the hobby, theory's, & specifics. But I've found that there are not many informational sources aside from the internet that have newer material.

For instance, I used to think I knew how to read a schematic but I'm 52yrs old and there have been many changes made since I first learned as well as updating symbols. The direct application of that to the hobby could be very important as the IC symbols change. Tesla coils have been around for a very long while but not all the newer high energy hobbies that have an inter-relationship. There is the issue of safety that continually arises. Experienced folks often do things that inexperienced people should not....but the distinguishing issues are not explained - So you either play it safe or make a choice that some action may be acceptable: when it may seriously may endanger life and limb. But even more significantly, this is a really fun and stimulating hobby that leads to many other areas of science. Yet it seems to be living in Dormitories in universities and in "hand-me-down" learning or exposure.

When I have questions, I ask here and search and read. But too often (in past published books) the theory related to the question is illustrated in an engineering fashion that needs further research to apply it to the hobby. What's more there are "hobbies within hobbies" in this arena. If someone were to even expand a FAQ to include the branches of that tree; it would be fantastic! But my feeling is that it would be "book-sized".

There is so much here within the "high-energy" hobby field that the appeal would be pretty wide. My point about a book however is to illustrate both the hobby and the sourcing of information, materials, further learning, & even vocations. IMO there is just not a lot (if any) of materials written from a generalized learning / beginning perspective. Even books about Tesla often fall short. There are so many people with so much to give to further the learning of people yet unborn, it's a pity that many unique concepts wouldn't be past on.

Bjørn

Fri May 09 2008, 06:15PM

Registered Member #27 Joined: Fri Feb 03 2006, 02:20AM
Location: Hyperborea
Posts: 2058

A lot of what you want is what we try to do with the HvWiki

There has also been an idea of turning some of it into a book, but there is still a lot of work to be done. If you can formulate in detail things you would like to find in the wiki it would help those working on it.

quicksilver

Sat May 10 2008, 02:51PM

Registered Member #1408 Joined: Fri Mar 21 2008, 03:49PM
Location: Oracle, AZ
Posts: 679

I would love to! I have read quite a bit of HvWiki and am deeply impressed with what is there. Of the people who are new to this hobby such as myself, such a book or continued work would be very popular. What's more, I think that if it was in a readily available form, it would spread to may people who have interests on the edges of the hobby or see one aspect of it.

This hobby seems like an onion, in that it has layers upon layers and as one is exposed, another layer appears.

My only comment on the use of Wiki by itself is by it's very nature anyone can contribute to it. And in that, with a serious issue such as safety, there is always the element of truth & clarity.

Chris Russell

Sun May 11 2008, 01:04AM

... not Russel!
Registered Member #1 Joined: Thu Jan 26 2006, 12:18AM
Location: Tempe, Arizona
Posts: 1052

We are hoping to cut down on any element of uncertainty by only allowing members of 4hv.org to contribute to the wiki. There still may be concerns about accuracy of information, but I suspect that most people here would tend to err on the side of safety, rather than publish something unsafe to the wiki.

Again, if there's anything specific that you can think of that might belong in the wiki, please share it with us. There's an entire board on this forum, dedicated just to the wiki -- seems like a good place to start.

There is, however, something very nice about a book. However useful computers may be, I enjoy having good reference material on the shelf, and refer to it often. I think that if the HvWiki ever really takes off, it might be worth seeing if there's any way to distribute the best articles in a more physical manner -- sort of a low cost (or free if you've got enough paper and toner) high voltage / high power reference manual.

Firefox

Sun May 11 2008, 01:29AM

Registered Member #1389 Joined: Thu Mar 13 2008, 12:50AM
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 346

I agree with Chris, I like having something paper and ink, regardless of how much information you can access through the internet. I recently found an excellent book on Solid State Electronics at my library (when I find it, I'll post its name/author) and It has been invaluable as a resource, and has concise explinations on everything from Germanium Diodes to SCRs. I have yet to find a good general resource on HV, and would definitely buy a copy of a quality read on the subject.

quicksilver

Sun May 11 2008, 05:10PM

Registered Member #1408 Joined: Fri Mar 21 2008, 03:49PM
Location: Oracle, AZ
Posts: 679

A great many of the pictures illustrated of the HV would draw in almost anyone! But the design concept of a book is an interesting thing.

My wife used to be a teacher for gifted children at a private prep school and she made a very interesting comment on how certain young people learn from hobbies. There is a concept "Question, How To? - Cause & Effect" learning. (QHTCE) It works like this:
Q- "I have a microwave oven and I'm making a Tesla Coil; can I use the big caps that are in the oven?"
A -"NO, because they operate at 60hz"
Q- "What would I need? Is there anything I can change?"
(I'm actually using a personal example from my own recent goofing around)
Then an example follows as to what is needed & why the issue has certain requirements. The student is encouraged to ask more questions and actually find "work-a-rounds" for the issue. This actually what is very often done with many hobbies.

HOWEVER this is how many gifted students learn and actually what appeals in learning environment & books that may not even be designed to achieve this. The original question is followed with digressions of explanations to allow for a "flow" of learning the Theory elements without the direct separation of Theory from practical application. This is actually important as it achieves an overall depth of learning....."Why can't I use just any HV for certain things?" Then there is a direct answer and examples of "work-a-rounds" that are illustrated BY the theory.
Thus you have Theory & Practical example, Theory & Practical example, Theory & Practical example.
The student in the school is encouraged to continue to ask questions and find "How To" achieve his desired result.

In the book concept the questions are provided from the hobby and digress to show large scale elemental answers. For example, the concept of frequency affecting current & voltage. A full chapter, perhaps, but starting with something like "How I change the voltage/current of a source for my HV experiment?"

All the material is actually already provided in the Forum (for the most part). The creative aspect is to either order the "Questions" so there is some progression & / or order or use a model like "So you want to build a Tesla Coil & you don't have a lot of money....?" Or suggestions: "You have a whole source of experiments sitting in the rubbish bin..."

You could actually have a lot of fun with just the questions.

Tesladownunder

Mon May 12 2008, 06:03PM

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

For someone who is almost 52 as well, I have NEVER had any books on electricity in 30 years. I don't plan to start now.
When I was young they were not available to a rural student and now I find the ease of using the internet makes this the choice for me.

I did get lots of electronics periodicals over the years though.

Having said that I have toyed with the idea of a coffee table book about eye candy type HV but I would not expect to sell any so it would just be an ego thing. My site on the other hand is contemporaneous, comprehensive, costs nothing to view and has been seen by a million people. Which just goes to emphasize that books just don't do it for me.

BTW the same nearly applies to medicine for me as a profession. Not bought a book for 15 years. Tons of magazines a month though and daily use of the internet.

TDU

Steve Conner

Tue May 13 2008, 10:05AM

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

Yes, writing a book is a big project that takes a lot of time and effort, and high voltage is such a niche hobby compared to, say, tuning cars or gardening, that I don't see it selling enough to repay the effort. The internet has a colossal power to bring weird people together and make them think they're more normal and less lonely than they really are. But in reality, Google returns 500,000 results for "tesla coil", 1.2 million for "plushies" and 75 million for "gardening".

So it's either going to be a labour of love, or a vanity project. I wouldn't do it unless someone paid me. I'd write a book about plushies instead, and hope it sold twice as much.

Dan/EasternVoltageResearch/Dr. Shock wrote a book on DRSSTCs a couple of years back, maybe he will tell us how many copies it sold.

There are a few good books out there, here is a small selection
"The Art Of Electronics" - Horowitz and Hill
"High Voltage Laboratory Technique" - Craggs and Meek (long out of print, collector's item)
"Experiments with Alternate Currents of High Potential and High Frequency" - Nikola Tesla (reprinted several times, try ebay)
"Colorado Springs Notes" - Nikola Tesla (try ebay for the 1970s reprint)

Dr. Drone

Wed May 14 2008, 07:48AM

Registered Member #290 Joined: Mon Mar 06 2006, 08:24PM
Location:
Posts: 1673

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