It is honestly hard for me to get behind John Bedini's carbonate cell. As lidmotor has shown the carbonate cell needs water to run and its the water that gives the cell its power. I feel we need to stay away from water, the best proof to stay away from water is to take magnesium ribbon and stick it in a cup of distilled water and watch it get eaten by the water within weeks. John won't see the corrosion as quick because he's using only drops of water and combine that with big magnesium cup and copper pipe and you have a cell that will run on water for a long time without showing corrosion. This is also why i build small cells, the small cells get to the point quicker and show if the bigger cell will corrode or not. But there is that if that i must not ignore since john has not given the full details of the cell out yet and he could have figured it out to where the metals don't corrode.

  For anyone interested in making the quartz/carbon cells, the process is not rocket science, and that is why I like it compared to all the doping and chemicals involved with some of the other cells. Besides the cost... zilch.
   Just pulverize the quartz, and carbon, fill the capacitor can in layers, about 6 layers, and compress it together as much as possible. The carpenter pencil leads work better than the thin regular pencils leads, as those can and do break, although they do work very well.  I have used the conductive grease on the inside of the capacitor can, as well as on any external connection. Be sure to test the conductivity of the carbon, or it's all a waist of time.
  Try it, you'll like it...  they can be made in just a few minutes, and will work immediately.  If you do, try to make 4 of them, and see how well they can they can light an led, no oscillator needed.  And Ib, they use no water, ever.

Quote from: NickZ on November 09, 2011, 02:33:08 PM
I have used the conductive grease on the inside of the capacitor can, as well as on any external connection.

What is this conductive grease? Is it the electrolyte in the capacitor or are you adding something like WD-40?

Quote from: ibpointless2 on November 09, 2011, 02:16:42 PM
It is honestly hard for me to get behind John Bedini's carbonate cell. As lidmotor has shown the carbonate cell needs water to run and its the water that gives the cell its power. I feel we need to stay away from water, the best proof to stay away from water is to take magnesium ribbon and stick it in a cup of distilled water and watch it get eaten by the water within weeks. John won't see the corrosion as quick because he's using only drops of water and combine that with big magnesium cup and copper pipe and you have a cell that will run on water for a long time without showing corrosion. This is also why i build small cells, the small cells get to the point quicker and show if the bigger cell will corrode or not. But there is that if that i must not ignore since john has not given the full details of the cell out yet and he could have figured it out to where the metals don't corrode.

Ib;

I agree, John has not given full details of his cells, and the clues that he has dropped I find some inconsistancies.  I do hope though that he has worked out a way around the issues.  I suggest those interested should study up on the general term "chemical reactions" and you will find that to initiate this reaction you typically change the structure of the original materials.  Sometimes these processes can be reversed, but usually take an external force such as heat, pressure, or electricity to initiate and complete the process.  Think lead acid battery!

There is a way to isolate the galvanic action between the metals using organic materials without sacrificing the metals.  This comes with the loss of the materials between the metals.  Sort of like NickZ has referenced before.  Create chaos between the metals, and let the metals serve as antennas to collect the electrons.  This is a method I am currently involved in and very happy with my results to this point, able to extract impressive energy with ridiculus cheap materials. 

NickZ:

I would like to try and build your cell.  Can I use beach sand or would I need larger quartz crystals to crush.

Brad S

  Brad:
   That is a good question,  I had thought the same thing. As sand is mostly quartz, and iron, but with some other impurities as well. Beach sand will need to be washed of the salt, or we may be back to dissolving the metals. Pool filter sand is also mostly quartz, and can be used too.  It is worth a try as it has worked very well in my cement cells, that are still working almost a year later.
  Some people charge the quartz powder or sand, with high voltage when  the cell is newly made. I have used pure quartz beach rocks ground up to a powder and have gotten fair result. But the quartz clear points have worked best so far. Tumbled quartz rocks or aquamarine crystals can be used and are cheap. 
  I would recommend not making tiny cells as this dry process works better with larger sized capacitor cans, or thicker aluminum pipe, that are similar to or even a bit taller than to Johns Mg carbonate cell cans.
I would also seal the whole cell as you've done before, or by just dipping them into resin. Not only the tops and bottoms but the whole cell, so they will last a long time.  Make several cells at once all the exact same way, so that they will work together to light your leds, or Jtc.