I then determined to try for precise measurements. I partially succeeded in this in that, using a digital scale I could see that propulsive force increased as I turned up the voltage. However, I had no way of measuring the actual voltage.
The Basic Test Rig for use with a Digital Scale
Click on this link for a detailed description of the test rig for use with a digital scale. This also describes the power supply that was used and the digital scale itself.
Results using the Digital Scale
A large number of experiments were performed between April 25th, 1998 and June 3rd, 1998 as time permitted. Many variables were played with. I won't transcribe all of my results here, but instead will paraphrase the various trials.
As you will see, increasing voltage increases propulsive force. The most I have to work with is 150KV. With 1 million volts my results lead me to believe that you could very likely build a device which would lift its own weight and then some. Increasing the heat of the experimental area, also increases propulsive force, though in this case dry heat (from an electric heater for example) seems to have no effect whereas heat from outside air increases propulsive force dramatically. My uneducated guess is that the damp heated air is allowing a higher voltage to reach the device (if only I could measure my voltage more precisely) or is having an effect on the ionized air surrounding the device.
Best propulsion was always obtained at highest voltage for the trial run. What I call the weight of the device is the weight of the aluminum foil dome, the copper disk (or other disk) and the balsa wood stick that is glued to the copper disk. The weight of the device consisting of the 15" double dome and 3" copper disk is therefore 21.3 grams.
Typical measurement
Typical measurements taken look like the following:
| Total weight on scale before: | 298.0 grams |
| Lowest weight attained: | 296.0 grams |
| Hovered between: | 296.2 grams & 296.7 grams |
| Spent most time at: | 296.5 grams |
| Hovering weight loss: | 1.8 grams & 1.3 grams |
| Hovering weight loss: | 8.45 % & 6.10 % |
May 31/98 - Breakthrough, best results when warm
On May 31st, 1998, I was spending the entire day doing numerous experiments when I started getting my best results near the end of the day. Note that it was cloudy outside for most of the day.
Near the beginning of the day, I made a measurement with a 6.25" aluminum foil, roughly bowl shaped electrode for the bottom electrode. The rim of the bowl was facing upwards. It was separated from the top of the dome by 6.75". The normal position described by T. T. Brown in his letter, where the copper disk is just inside the rim of the dome, is about 4.375". The best result with this arrangement was a weight loss of 2.2 grams or 10 % weight loss relative to the heavier 21.3 gram dome/copper disk arrangement.
Around 4:15 PM, as a sanity check, I tried the same arrangement again. While setting up, the sun came out and the room heated up noticably. The best result this time was 6.2 grams or 29 % weight loss! All other measurements made prior to that one were no where near as good, the best being around 10 %.
My guess is that the warmer room somehow caused less voltage to bleed to the air by ionization of molecules and so the voltage reaching my device was higher. But not having any way to measure voltage, I can't be certain.
June 1/98 - Plagued by unbalanced readings
If the readings that the digital scale are getting are changing too rapidly then it displays that it is unbalanced and the readings are not to be relied upon. June 1st, 1998 was plagued by unbalanced readings.
June 2/98 - Playing with the temperature
On June 2nd, 1998, I turned on a heater in an attempt to duplicate the 29 % weight loss of May 31st. Sure enough, with the same device arrangement, I had a weight loss of 6.3 grams (29 % weight loss).
I then put the copper disk back to its position just inside the rim of the bowl and got a weight loss of 5.5 grams (26 %). Another measurement shortly after that with the same arrangement gave a weight loss of 6 grams.
June 3/98 - A new dome
I built a new dome with a rim diameter of 14". This one consisted of a single bowl unlike the double bowl shape that I'd been using thus far.
I was again plagued with unbalancing. Once I'd overcome the problems (mostly by putting a stack of soft cover books on the scale and putting the test stand on the books) then I experimented with the new dome and the 6.25" crude bowl shaped bottom electrode. I tried various distances.
| Distance | Weight loss |
|---|---|
| 12.25" | 11.3 grams (53 %) |
| 10.75" | 4 grams (19 %) |
| 9" | 3.1 grams (15 %) |
| 7.75" | 3.5 grams (16 %) |
| 6.75" | 5.4 grams (25 %) |
I am suspicious of the 12.25" result of 11.3 grams. Until I just now looked at my lab book, I didn't realize I had such a good result. I would have noticed it at the time. All that I recall was that the results weren't anything special so I think it may be no more than an error when I wrote it down. I'll have to check again.
Conclusions
The higher voltage, the higher the propulsive force. Heat may be a factor as well as humidity unless what I am seeing is their contributing to voltage.
Unfortunately, June 3rd, 1998 was the last time I had for experimenting with the vertically rising dome experiment as I had to switch to experiments on the electrodes spinning around a pole in preparation for a Tesla conference. After that I began working on the Hamel magnetic device.
