Testatika Small Machine Testbed 1

Warning: All test measurements were done incorrectly due to lack of experience using an oscilloscope with a floating voltage source (i.e. where neither electrode is grounded) - one electrode was always being grounded. As a result this information is useful for seeing how the device was constructed and the measurements are useful for historical reference only.

This is an attempt to duplicate one of the small testatika machines (the one in the picture below). It is a 'testbed' because not enough details are available to duplicate it -- both in terms of parts and why/how it works. So an experimental approach is taken, testing out theories and components one at a time.

The real testatika small machine. Click on the picture for a big version (1.4Meg).

My small machine as it stands so far. See the construction page for better detail.

Construction

See the construction page for this. It has step-by-step pictures of each stage of construction which shows the parts well. There is a separate pots construction page for the pots.

Note that all grids that are facing the wires on the disk are made of aluminum whereas the wires on the disk are steel. This means that dissimilar metals are being used and are likely the source of at least some of the potential. See here for some tests with dissimilar metals.

Testing

I'm testing it component by component since there are many unknowns in how it is built. This way I may get some hints as I go along.

April 13-14, 2005 - Testing front grids:
Having assembled the front grids (see the construction page up to April 13), I did some measuring of voltages with my oscilloscope. However, the results of the April 20-21, 2005 (see next tests) test pretty much the same things and give the same results.
April 20-21, 2005 - Testing front grids with most back grids:
I added most of the back grids (see the construction page for April 18), and wanted to test this before going on.
April 26, 2005 - Testing new lower diagonal back grids:
I added the lower diagonal back grids (see the construction page for April 25), and wanted to test this before going on.
May 11, 2005 - Testing polarities of opposite sides

End of testbed 1

At this point it was decided that many changes had to be made to get rid of the disk wobble and do further experiments. As a result small machine testbed 2 was made.