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Re: Ball Lightning??



On Fri, 27 Aug 1999, Chuck Britton wrote:

Bill, can you give any help at getting this ball lightning to ignite???

We can't seem to achieve 'lift off' or even an 'enhanced' flame :-(

Hi Chuck! I tried many times before somebody else finally hit on the
technique. You need a "turntable" oven with no stirrer. I used NO
water-cup as a load (I don't know if this will damage an oven, but I think
you have to risk it if you want to create the phenomenon. Buy an old $10
oven at a garage sale?) I used a fairly stubby candle (1.5" tall) I have
to put the candle off center on the turntable so that it is transported
through various hotspots. If it doesn't work, then it means that I'm not
hitting the hotspots. I move the candle, or perhaps place it on a small
plastic box to lift it higher.

The "ball lightning" recipe that worked best is the one with the bunch of
charred toothpicks stuck into the top of the candle adjacent to the flame.

http://www.eskimo.com/~billb/tesla/mwball.txt

Some candle wicks have a lead wire running down the center. My candle
didn't. I don't know if the metal wire will supress the effect, or help
it along.

((((((((((((((((((((( ( ( ( ( (O) ) ) ) ) )))))))))))))))))))))
William J. Beaty SCIENCE HOBBYIST website
billb@eskimo.com http://www.amasci.com
EE/programmer/sci-exhibits science projects, tesla, weird science
Seattle, WA 206-781-3320 freenrg-L taoshum-L vortex-L webhead-L