Nathan Stubblefield Earth battery/Self Generating Induction Coil Replications

[Pirate88179]

@ Freezer:

That is one heck of a coil there!  That thing is going to weigh 20 pounds by the time you are done, ha ha.  If that does not put out some serious mA, I don't know what would.

@ Bruce, Joe and Jeanna:

I was thinking more about the magnetic fields generated by our primary coils.  This opens up a lot more possibilities I believe.  It/they are very weak fields but, thanks to Jeanna, at least we know they are there.  I wonder if we could take some very fine iron powder and lay a sheet of thin paper over our coil and sprinkle the iron dust onto the paper...would this show us the fields do you think?  It would have to be very fine iron as I do not see, or feel, any magnetic attraction to iron by using my hands and fingers.  Mine reacted similar to Bruce's which is very strange for the field to reverse by rotation along the axis or from end to end.  Does this mean there is a null point or points where there is no field?  What we have here is a weak electromagnet with no outside electric power.  They sure didn't teach me about this in college physics.

@ Joe:

This will be very interesting to log the test results from the primary coils built by all of us.  They are all similar but different.  We may find that shorter and fatter, like Freezer's cell is better.  Or, Longer like Bruce's cell might be the way to go.  What I am trying to say is that we should keep track of our results which may change once outside and buried.  This way, we can find the optimum configuration.  Results should be coming in soon from everyone.

@ George:

How is your coil coming along?  Yours also looks to be a thick wound coil which I may try next time around.  You have a lot of surface area there.  Keep us posted.

Bill

[Localjoe]

@Bill

They sell this stuff too i think it might be worth while its called magnetic viewing paper example at bottom http://scientificsonline.com/product.asp?pn=3082237&bhcd2=1202838753

@ Freezer

. Im kicking myself now for not breaking down and cutting two discs like that or at least what sid did with the plastic but i still need more copper so i'll have to do that on my next build, maybe not in sections but the discs should hold a nice wide coil real tight 
                                                                                                                       Joe

[hansvonlieven]

G'day all,

I would not attach too much significance to your compass readings. Any piece of iron, magnetic or not, will influence a compass when in close proximity. This is why you cannot expect a true reading from an off the shelf compass in a steel boat. special adjustments have to be made first. It is quite an art.

You can test it for yourself. just take a small quantity of iron wire, wrap it around something or roll it in a ball and go near a compass with it, alternatively a steel bolt or anything else will do.

This is because the compass needle is a tiny bar magnet in itself and therefore will be attracted to iron in its proximity.

Hans von Lieven

Edit: The magnetic viewing film will give a true reading, since it is a passive device, unlike a compass needle.

[Freezer]

@Joe  Yea, to wind more you need support on the sides.  I'm actually kicking myself for not making it bigger    If people get decent results from this way, I will build another bigger cell in the same fashion with super wide discs, maybe like 2 feet, and with 6 gauge stranded.  I think the way georgemay did it with the string and cloth is the best way.  I did it the same as that as well.  Basically I wound the copper first, then wound two cotton threads on each side, and then the iron wire between the space left between the two strings.  Then I covered each layer with 2-3 turns of cheese cloth (100% cotton)  which happened to be the exact width I needed.  I used a glue gun to help keep the edges of the cloth secure, all you need are small little dabs.  I still have some ideas on how to construct it better and easier, so maybe next time.  I think the way Stubblefield did it was a good way too as his design you detach it self for repair.

@Bill, yes its starting to weigh a good amount.  It feels good just holding it in my hand.  I almost don't want to stick it into the dirt.

[Bruce_TPU]

G'day all,

I would not attach too much significance to your compass readings. Any piece of iron, magnetic or not, will influence a compass when in close proximity. This is why you cannot expect a true reading from an off the shelf compass in a steel boat. special adjustments have to be made first. It is quite an art.

You can test it for yourself. just take a small quantity of iron wire, wrap it around something or roll it in a ball and go near a compass with it, alternatively a steel bolt or anything else will do.

This is because the compass needle is a tiny bar magnet in itself and therefore will be attracted to iron in its proximity.

Hans von Lieven

Edit: The magnetic viewing film will give a true reading, since it is a passive device, unlike a compass needle.

Hi Hans,
Magnetic viewing film is a good idea. 
And not to throw water on your theory above, if you look at the pictures above, you will see that the right side of my coil does not attract the N of my compass, but actually repels it. 

I tried this again today, with half of my fifth layer and it is still that way.  If the compass need were attracted to the iron, it should do so on the right side of the coil as well as the left.  Anyway, one of those weird anomolies.  IMHO.

Lowe's was out of 18 awg wire, (of course.) So I have purchased some 14 awg for the last half of the fifth winding.  I am determined to finish it tonight and post some tests.  I will soak mine in distilled water.  It is an 80 rating for a dielectric constant.  So I hope to see some great results.  Of course, in the ground it will not be distilled water, but rain water keeping it moist.  But it will make for a good experiment.

Then I will wrap my secondary.  This should go pretty fast.

Cheers,

Bruce