The "Diode"

[IcyBlue]

Hi all,
did anyone else notice that the diode of the testatika shows a striking similarity to what P.T. Farnsworth had patented under #2,189,358 in 1937 ? A RF-oszillator device that only needs a DC potential and a passive external resonant circuit to operate. The only drawback I see so far is that you need to use special metals or specially treated ones - preferably caesium coated - to create the cathode.

Now the central circuit of the converter becomes quite clear: The 'diode' is forming a closed-loop oszillator with C3 and L1 between the cathode and the anode. The arrangement choosen is a series resonant circuit that has the lowest impedanz a f0. The both UPR chokes are common RF chokes that provide the HVDC to the diode-oszillator and decouple the RF from the source. L2 dampes the oszillation and uses the power to heat the filament. Since the filament is RF heated, a better ionisation takes place. (BTW: it is uncertain if the diode actually has a filament. This kind of rf-heating also would have some maybe undesired back-coupling onto the circuit. Apart from this for a electron cascade to build up a high-vacuum is needed instead of a however thin ionizable medium like gas.)

The diode itself according to the patent is a evacuated glass-tube which insofar seems logical to me as I don't think baumann did put his construction in a glass tube just for fun - if it would not be needed.

So what needs to be done now is to build such a oszillator tube, put it into that rather simple arrangement and measure its behavior with a trustworthy setup.

I don't really think this is (the main or only) source of excess energy in the converter, but it looks at least as rather convincing source for the HVRF. Potter denotes this diode as rectifier, what does not make any sense to me. In the video this device is denoted just as diode - what is not said is that it is not a simple diode. So it was only the half truth, misleading to the assumption it would be a simple rectifier diode.

kind regards,
Icy.

[Steven Dufresne]

Hi Icy,
Good find! The only problem I have with it is that I've examined the videos extensively and can
find only two wires connecting to the diode at the top of the 3kW testatika. Any other wires must
be very well hidden.

Having said that, I still think you may be on to something here. In fact I'd carry it further and
apply it to some of the cans as well. They are all enclosed in a glass/clear plastic container.
Even though Farnsworth's patent says that the cathodes should preferably be unperforated,
that may not apply to the way they're used in the testatika. For example there are multiple
concentric perforated cylinders in some cases so the perforations may be neccessary for electron
propagation through multiple cylinders.

This also jibes with Marinov's description of what he saw in the small machine's two big cans -
a central wire spiral surrounded by one/two grid cylinders.

By the way, the patent does say you can get away with anodes that are made of just aluminium.
The caesium coated version is a preference.

Either way, thanks for pointing this out.
-Steve

[Steven Dufresne]

> By the way, the patent does say you can get away with anodes that are made of just aluminium.
> The caesium coated version is a preference.

Sorry, that should have been "cathodes", not "anodes".
-Steve

[IcyBlue]

Hi Steve,

Good find! The only problem I have with it is that I've examined the videos extensively and can find only two wires connecting to the diode at the top of the 3kW testatika. Any other wires must be very well hidden.

Actually, if it's a diode like that one described in the patent, then you need only *two* wires. I always doubted that it is a headed thermoionic rectifier, also after closely inspecting the photos and videos. What was suposed to be a glowing filament to me more looked like a image reduction artefact. It is true, not all machines seem to have a glass tube on the first glance, but at least one of the smaller machines employes a alternative version of the same device which has also been patented by Farnsworth, where the electrodes are at the end of the tube and the tube itself is completely covered by dense copper windings. In contrast to the other variant where the copper spiral maybe just forms a electrode, the winding here is used as a simple coil for generating a homogenious magnet field and covers the actual electrodes behind from sight. The great difference in the windings suggests this. This version then probably will create two electronzyclons that oppose each other and have the anode ring exactly in the middle of both. Because of it's symetry, this variant needs to have 3 wires. I also would not build it in a rectangular tubing as had been done. For the third one that seems to have no housing at all I still have no explanation. This all seems to be augmented by the video where Luzi Cathomen was asked about what is inside this tube. His answer: "magnets and things.". This all sofar is straight in line with farnsworth patents.

This also jibes with Marinov's description of what he saw in the small machine's two big cans - a central wire spiral surrounded by one/two grid cylinders.

yes, but only if they are capacitive transformers. I am not so sure about this. If he said what you quoted, then this gives a total of three grids, one outer and two inner. I expected this, but they are differently wired than in all diagrams that I have seen so far. The next best thing this all reminds me of is a ionic triode. The grid from which the current is drawn is in exactly the same position as the  supressor grid is in a pentagrid tube. I remember someone already has tried a 'ionic triode setup' ( http://www.blazelabs.com/e-exp18.asp ).

Note: that although this valve (tube) contains 7 electrodes and is thus technically a heptode, this device is usually referred to in technical literature as a pentagrid, to distinguish it from a true heptode. The grid that carries the input signal has to have a screen grid on either side to isolate it from the oscillator grid. The remaining grid is the suppressor grid to combat secondary emission.

Well, but that's just rather wild guess, although the supressor grid in a electron tube does exactly the same thing: catching secondary emmision electrons that need to be 'burned' somewhere. Usually they are fed back directly to the kathode via a dead short.

[Steven Dufresne]

Hi Icy,

Good find! The only problem I have with it is that I've examined the videos extensively and can find only two wires connecting to the diode at the top of the 3kW testatika. Any other wires must be very well hidden.

Actually, if it's a diode like that one described in the patent, then you need only *two* wires.

Sorry. You're right. I'm batting zero today.

I always doubted that it is a headed thermoionic rectifier, also after closely inspecting the photos and videos. What was suposed to be a glowing filament to me more looked like a image reduction artefact.

I always doubted this too but mainly because of the large amount of energy I expect would be required to produce the  heat.

This also jibes with Marinov's description of what he saw in the small machine's two big cans - a central wire spiral surrounded by one/two grid cylinders.

yes, but only if they are capacitive transformers. I am not so sure about this.

Here's an exact quote from Stefan Marinov with regards to the small machine which he had in his possession
for one week:

The capacitors have a cylindrical "grid", cylindrical plastic insulation and a copper spiral in the
center... THAT'S ALL! I saw in one of the small machines there are no magnets".

I've wondered about similiar things. In my case it is a way of turning HVDC (if that's what there is) into lower VDC. I found this accidentally. I had two cans as you see with testatikas. Each can was made up of two concentric cylindrical grids with a loose coil in the center. Since HVDC was across the outer grid and the coil, the coil was acting only as an electrode for a capacitor. The center grids of each can were connected to each other through measuring devices. I unexpectedly had ion conduction between one of the center grids and its corresponding outer grid which resulted in LVDC and small current between the two center grids as can be seen here:
http://rimstar.org/sdenergy/testa/potsmk1.htm
http://rimstar.org/sdenergy/testa/potstheory1.htm
This ion current could be made more widespread by removing the insulation between the grids.

-Steve