crystal radio: the first real free energy device

[telecom]

On the video u have a triode, where the screen can be activated by your radio signal,
the voltage should be increased to 8000V(pulsated).
You should be able to harness the output through the transformer.
It probably needs this high voltage to get the ions flow from the environment (air).
Regards

[pomodoro]

On the video u have a triode, where the screen can be activated by your radio signal,
the voltage should be increased to 8000V(pulsated).
You should be able to harness the output through the transformer.
It probably needs this high voltage to get the ions flow from the environment (air).
Regards

Any power extracted from this device will come  100% from the power supply, no free energy!

All the alpha does is ionize many air molecules near the wires which break down the normally insulating air gap and allow conduction of the 8000 volts through the air. A limiting resistor in the power supply  drops the voltage drop as soon as a current starts and the spark is extinguished. 

Its a common misconception that avalanche generation of ions is an energy multiplying effect.  think of it this way, one 4MeV alpha particle might generate say 1000 ions and free electrons in the air. Yes , we have multiplied the particles. Their energy will individually be a fraction of the original 4MeV. 
Now think carefully, what is so special about these  electrons and ions in the air anyway, a piece of metal has zillions of these already.  All they can do is conduct  current from a power supply lead to another, just like a piece of metal does every day, using energy from the power supply. They allow conduction in a gas, that's all they do.
There is a 'battery' that uses a radioactive source directly to create electricity. It requires huge amounts of very active isotopes and does collect the particles directly on a plate. A high voltage develops, similar to a capacitor charging, but the wattage is very weak.

[telecom]

Any power extracted from this device will come  100% from the power supply, no free energy!

All the alpha does is ionize many air molecules near the wires which break down the normally insulating air gap and allow conduction of the 8000 volts through the air. A limiting resistor in the power supply  drops the voltage drop as soon as a current starts and the spark is extinguished. 

Its a common misconception that avalanche generation of ions is an energy multiplying effect.  think of it this way, one 4MeV alpha particle might generate say 1000 ions and free electrons in the air. Yes , we have multiplied the particles. Their energy will individually be a fraction of the original 4MeV. 
Now think carefully, what is so special about these  electrons and ions in the air anyway, a piece of metal has zillions of these already.  All they can do is conduct  current from a power supply lead to another, just like a piece of metal does every day, using energy from the power supply. They allow conduction in a gas, that's all they do.
There is a 'battery' that uses a radioactive source directly to create electricity. It requires huge amounts of very active isotopes and does collect the particles directly on a plate. A high voltage develops, similar to a capacitor charging, but the wattage is very weak.

IMHO, power supply only creates a voltage potential. Once the current starts flowing, its an extra power, which can be harvested.
(Just thinking logically), but I can be wrong.
In any case, by having this kind of a device in hand will allow to do the measurements of the current, which should prove it one way or another.
Th number of ions can be in millions.
Regards

[pomodoro]

I fully understand your logic, I thought along those lines a while back, but imagine the electron tube , what we had before the transistor. A cloud of electrons is created at the cathode, by a  filament when heated. This filament is supplied by say a 100 watt supply called PS1. This cloud of electrons is equivalent to the ones created by the alpha in the video. A separate power supply PS2  supplies 8000V between the anode ( equivalent to the tungsten wire) and the cathode ( equivalent to the aluminum disk). Do you still think any current flowing between anode and cathode is from PS1 and none from PS2? You will find PS 1 still giving 100w just to make the election cloud and Ps2 supplying all the current. Now imagine removing the heater and putting a strong beta (electron) emitter instead. You have saved the power from the heater PS1, but unfortunately, PS2 still provides the voltage AND current.

[telecom]

I fully understand your logic, I thought along those lines a while back, but imagine the electron tube , what we had before the transistor. A cloud of electrons is created at the cathode, by a  filament when heated. This filament is supplied by say a 100 watt supply called PS1. This cloud of electrons is equivalent to the ones created by the alpha in the video. A separate power supply PS2  supplies 8000V between the anode ( equivalent to the tungsten wire) and the cathode ( equivalent to the aluminum disk). Do you still think any current flowing between anode and cathode is from PS1 and none from PS2? You will find PS 1 still giving 100w just to make the election cloud and Ps2 supplying all the current. Now imagine removing the heater and putting a strong beta (electron) emitter instead. You have saved the power from the heater PS1, but unfortunately, PS2 still provides the voltage AND current.

Isn't PS2 supplies the voltage potential - there is no current because the circuit is open (if PS1 is off )?