Update, tests.

Got a break in the weather for the last couple of days, plus some free time, so following up on the previous test results and additional configurations:

Maintaining control parameters
Test parameters as before but oriented East-West
Used 2 Zinc Hot Dipped Nails 12? long 3/8? Dia ( 30cm L x 1 cm Dia)
Driven into the ground to a depth of 10 Inches (25 cm)
Distance apart 23 feet (7 m)

Readings:
No resistor (open circuit)
Voltage 0.001 mV DC (trickle effect due to multimeter?)
Ofc as expected over a 1k zero voltage and zero current

However:
This is in contrast to the some readings using the same setup North-South, see previous tests, so based on this, there maybe something to telluric currents
http://www.overunity.com/index.php/topic,3500.msg58636.html#msg58636
and
http://www.overunity.com/index.php/topic,3500.msg57637.html#msg57637

Now some interesting readings using zinc-copper couple
Using 1 zinchotdipped Nail as above and ?? DIA Copper pipe driven to same depth as above and same distance apart, oriented East-West
Readings:
No resistor
Voltage 0.87 VDC
Current 1.02 mA (using multimeter and whatever its shunt is inside)

Over 1k resistor (1024Ohm)
Voltage 0.51 Vdc
Resulting in 0.49 mA

Next same as above but orientation N(zinc)-S(copper)
Open Voltage .877 VDC
Over 1K resistance
0.456 VDC
Resulting in 0.45mA

Next same as above but N(copper)-S(zinc)
Open Voltage 0.834 VDC
Over 1k
0.342 VDC
Resulting in 0.33 mA

Measurments were taken under load (1k) for 2 days sampling . Over 10 readings the numbers were within 0.003 VDC so pretty tight and repeatable.

Some thoughts.
For these configurations the current (even though apparently constant for the 2 day period) is fairly low for lighting up an eg LED with one couple of rods Maybe at more depth and surface area contact plus multiple couples, it would be able to light up some high efficiency ultrabright LEDs all year around. Could be an interesting setup for the flower bed area.
It appears from the Zinc-Zinc tests, that it is not a pure galvanic reaction but some other effect come in play.
It also appears that N-S does effect (positively) the output. And with dissimilar metals, in this case zinc/copper, when copper is positioned N there is a slight advantage.

What?s interesting, is that there is a Voltage across zinc/copper couple when they are oriented East-West, is this galvanic reaction then?
Also tested at 2 .3 ft apart east west z-cu and got similar readings.

Good thread, nice contributions from many members.

Pirate88179, yeah the utility services check is a must do and it?s free, These folks shared some interesting stories, one customer cracked the gas line while trying to install his own fence posts.(code here calls for 32 inch min depth). Another went clear through the power cable had to get EMS involved as he got both a nasty shock and minor burn.

hansvonlieven, good sleuthing on the  Stubblefield's work/patents.
Thanks

What actually happens when earth batteries are put in series or parallel? Do they behave like normal batteries?

QuoteIn its current experimental configuration, the demonstration system produces 2.1 volts, enough to continuously maintain a full charge in a nickel cadmium battery attached to an LED light. "Think of the environment as a battery, in this case," said Lagadinos, "with the tree as the positive pole and the grounding rod as the negative."

The above quote is from the article posted by Localjoe on the tree energy project.  I went out this a.m. for a minute and used my voltmeter on my tree and learned something.  First, they have the polarity backward in the article from what I just experienced.  Maybe that was a type of disinformation, who knows.  Maybe there are positive and negative trees? I got .17 vdc by stabbing my -lead into the tree and the + lead into the earth.  Both probes were only in about 1/4 inch deep.

@Mikestock:

Great work, keep it up.

@ Hans:
This makes it sound like he was seeding his "hotspot" areas with some dangerous chemicals.  Or, could it have been the decomposition of his copper that Stefan warned us about in an earlier thread? He was concerned we would poision our gardens.  Great research Hans, but I don't really like this news.

@Gaby:
I only attempted to effect a series test one time and once I attached the lead to tie the + -, to the next +- it shorted the whole works out to 0.  I probably need some guidance from you electronics guys out there to do this correctly.

Bill

@ akashh:

Cockroft Walton Voltage Multipliers

Thanks for this info.  Can you or any of the electronics guys out there tell me how to build one?  I see the circuit diagram but it would be helpful to have a list of required components, then I could see if I were up to the task.  This sounds ideal for charging the caps....big caps.

Thanks,

Bill

Quote from: gaby de wilde on November 20, 2007, 12:21:05 PM
What actually happens when earth batteries are put in series or parallel? Do they behave like normal batteries?

Yes Gaby, they do.

Hans von Lieven