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Xmas tree 2009

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LAN_403

Tesladownunder

Mon Nov 16 2009, 05:01PM

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

I am well under way in the production of my Xmas tree for 2009.
The 2007 Tesla Xmas tree was successful in that it was shown in the Metro newspaper, had a Discovery Canada TV segment about it and made it to 80 other websites.

2007 version.

Hoping to emulate and improve on this, I have begun work on a different and larger design.
I first used a rotating swivel arm to have sparks to Earth then streamers in the air. The effect is to have a Santa next to a colorful bushy "tree" with a golden star on top.
Here are some pics during development, experimenting with colors.
Note the larger size with the star yet to be added.

1258389647 10 FT0 Xmas09firstfullsparktree

doctor electrons

Mon Nov 16 2009, 10:42PM

Registered Member #2390 Joined: Sat Sept 26 2009, 02:04PM
Location: Milwaukee Wisconsin
Posts: 381

AWESOME!! Thats all i can say!

Voltwad

Tue Nov 17 2009, 04:58AM

Registered Member #1829 Joined: Sun Nov 30 2008, 01:06AM
Location: Raleigh N.C.
Posts: 74

I understand you use color filters for different color sparks. Have you considered salt doped electrodes or perhaps noble gasses leaked from needle valve apertures for a more interesting and complicated color generation scheme? Either way it looks brilliant so far.

Tesladownunder

Thu Dec 03 2009, 04:34PM

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

I have just completed the Xmas tree still pic and I am very happy with it - after about take 20. Now just have to complete the construction and explanatory pics and text and send it to my agent.

I will publish it to my site with a water mark later. in the meantime here are a couple of extra shots.
My car innertube toroidwent flat and started to burn so I did a quick replace job with aircon ductng to fit around my motorised rotating arm.
The other shot is of green sparks at my feet, These tend to fan out on hitting the poorly conducting bitumen.

Voltwad wrote ...

I understand you use color filters for different color sparks. Have you considered salt doped electrodes or perhaps noble gasses leaked from needle valve apertures for a more interesting and complicated color generation scheme? Either way it looks brilliant so far.

For an external observer the added ions effect is the only one possible but while that works well for an arc (like a jacobs ladder) it doesn't do much for a 6 foot spark of sub microsecond duration.

1259858005 10 FT79584 Xmas09toroidflat400

1259858005 10 FT79584 Xmas09newtoroidsun1000

1259858005 10 FT79584 Xmas09footgreenspark1000

Killa-X

Fri Dec 04 2009, 03:00AM

Registered Member #1643 Joined: Mon Aug 18 2008, 06:10PM
Location:
Posts: 1039

Looks good TDU! Is that a big PVC pipe that you used as a secondary? And do the sparks actually go all green? I never messed with chemicals, I know fire you can do that with different chemicals, but..I thought with a teslacoil, only the start would be green, not the whole bolt :) Awesome

Tesladownunder

Sat Dec 05 2009, 07:48AM

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

Killa-X wrote ...

Looks good TDU! Is that a big PVC pipe that you used as a secondary? And do the sparks actually go all green? I never messed with chemicals, I know fire you can do that with different chemicals, but..I thought with a teslacoil, only the start would be green, not the whole bolt :) Awesome

The TC former is a custom welded poypropylene cylinder with internal bracing and flat overlapping end caps to allow bolting onto the base and with reinforcing to allow the mount for the secondary rotating breakout mechanics. Cost AUD $250. It's far lighter than a comparable PVC which would have to be thicker and a lot structurally stronger.
The colored sparks are all due to rotating colour filters which are changed manually.
Eg Start exposing picture. Take a picture of foot with flash and clear filter only. This shows the foot in natural color. Remove foot. Change to green filter and fire sparks. Sparks appear green. Stop exposure.

Video is done. video is sold. Pics to be sent out to UK papers today. Things are starting to hot up.

Tesladownunder

Sat Dec 12 2009, 12:10AM

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

Well, the tree is finished. Image is copyrighted to me and my agency, Barcroft media hence the watermark.

I might rethink the whole idea of getting payment for my images.
I have been disappointed with it's performance in the media. I personally know that I have missed out on 3 ( Australian) newspaper stories and 4 TV shows (2 Australian, 1 Canadian discovery and 1 German) because of not giving this out free. Let alone the usual 50 - 100 website linkage. It would be a shame if this picture died without being used just for a trivial sum.

At present it has been covered in only 3 online newspaper sites. Not really good enough for what the Telegraph described as "Perhaps the most impressive tree we've seen this year.."
Sun (UK)
Telegraph
WAToday

However the video is also complete and looks impressive and dynamic. Not as clear as the photo though even in HD. Hopefully it will save the day.

1260574723 10 FT79584 Xmas09final1000watermark

Zum Beispiel

Sat Dec 12 2009, 12:41AM

Registered Member #514 Joined: Sun Feb 11 2007, 12:27AM
Location: Somewhere in Pirkanmaa, Finland
Posts: 295

That's some beautiful work right there. It's a shame that so many papers won't publish if a payment is required, but I quess that's just how the things are. Same goes for TV shows.

Your work is really impressive and a continuing inspiration to me... And seeing your site for the first time was one of the reasons for me to get into high voltage in the first place. So all I can say is: 'thumbs up!' and keep up the good work. I guess high voltage is a hard hobby (well, it's a hobby after all) to make a living (or any money at all) out of, but as long as you're having fun... who cares?

Tesladownunder

Mon Dec 21 2009, 06:53PM

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

I have largely pulled out of the commercial contract for various reasons.

My video was shown statewide today on TV news. (WIN TV). I told them they could have the exclusive if they sent it on to Reuters.
Have done one radio interview (6PR).
It will be front cover of a local newspaper tomorrow (Bunbury Mail).
On Neatorama and starting to get a few hits.
What happens now depends on Reuters.

This photo is free to use. I have the high res one available if needed.

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