UK Teslathon, Corby 27th May 2000

Despite slightly better lighting conditions this year (cloudy!), I didn't get many especially good spark pictures of this event, below are just a few odds & ends I managed to snap.  See http://www.tcbouk.org.uk/ for more info on UK teslathons past and future.

What we need is MORE POWER! Ritchie Burnett, Steve Rodway and Bob Golding add yet another paralleled transformer to Alan's coil for the UK spark-length record attempt.

(Left) Not-very-successful attempt to use a large xenon flashtube as a 'strike detector', in series with the ground rod when attempting spark length record. Unfortunately the capacitance of the ground rod meant that the tube lit only slightly brighter when the rod was hit than it did due to the general amount of e-field surrounding the coil when running.  Striking the tube end directly, however gave a very impressive glow (Right).

Tim Davey and Mike Tucknott demonstrate Tim's Van-De-Graff generator in hair-raising fashion (groan!).

Steve Bell's very impressive aluminium-cased control box, complete with combination lock and numerous safety interlocks.

(Left) Alan Sharp's control box, showing innovative use of a pushchair wheel as a variac knob!

I didn't really have time to get anything together for the event, so I brought a few items shown on this site for people to see first-hand, including some valves, nixie clock and a ball-bearing motor.

(Left) The usual suspects... (Right) the magnificent trophies presented to all the people who brought coils