The one I saw was http://jnaudin.free.fr/html/lifters.htm. I just checked it
appears as the first hit if you Google for 'lifter' and its been updates
since last time I looked at it couple of years ago when someone told me
about it. I actually made one then but I didn't think it through and built
it much bigger than the measurements specified. I powered it from an old
monitor, tapping into the tube, through some lacquered thin gauge copper
wires. Tried it in a room first, the wires were burning the carpet and the
stench of ozone was unbearable... I also remember it buzzing very loudly and
ominously. You definitely got the idea there was high voltage present. We
took it for a try outside next. The wires were sparking into the damp
driveway concrete and arcing from the lifter foil to ground. The lifter was
straining to lift but because I made it too large the balsa wood was
buckling too much, the foil would twist, discharge and the whole structure
would settle back down. It was interesting to watch the monitor too, as the
tube was still operating... Since then I was going to half all the balsa
struts to halve the size of the lifter but never got around to doing it. It
was rather exciting though, for one because there was some perceptible lift,
whichever natural phenomenon was responsible and also because a couple of my
completely non-scientific friends were present and they were very gung-ho
about it all until they saw the sparking, heard the loud ominous buzzing and
smelled the ozone. None of them would even come close to the thing for good
10 minutes after it was disconnected from the monitor.

Eugene.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: piclist-bounces@mit.edu 
> [mailto:piclist-bounces@mit.edu] On Behalf Of Luis Moreira
> Sent: Wednesday, 22 September 2004 9:24 PM
> To: 'Microcontroller discussion list - Public.'
> Subject: RE: [OT] Lifter design
> 
> are there any practical designs that I can have a look at ? 
> this seems very
> interesting...
> 
> Luis
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jake Anderson [mailto:grooveee@optushome.com.au]
> Sent: 22 September 2004 12:05
> To: Microcontroller discussion list - Public.
> Subject: RE: [OT] Lifter design
> 
> 
> perpetual motion and anti-gravity
> fiction for engineers? ;->
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: piclist-bounces@mit.edu 
> [mailto:piclist-bounces@mit.edu]On Behalf
> > Of Russell McMahon
> > Sent: Wednesday, September 22, 2004 6:55 PM
> > To: Microcontroller discussion list - Public.
> > Subject: Re: [OT] Lifter design
> >     You can't win
> >     You can't break even.
> >     You can't get out of the game
> >     :-)
> > 
> > So far EVERYTHING seems to obey these "rules".
> 
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