----- Original Message -----
From: "Harry Veeder" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <vortex-l@eskimo.com>
Sent: Saturday, February 17, 2007 1:56 AM
Subject: Re: [Vo]: Lifters
I did it with a balance beam and a pointer, and saw nothing significant.
Also did it set up as a torsion arm.
How did you calibrate your scale?
You don't really "calibrate" a simple balance beam or torsion arm. There is
no scale, just beam, pointer, and a ruler positioned next to the pointer. A
laser pointer is unnecessary and inacurate as well... consider the spot size
of a red laser pointer compared the the thickness of a sewing needle. You
just make it long enough and rigid enough that if you drop a bit of lint on
one end of it, the pointer at the other end will give a visible indication
of movement.
An unshielded, open-air lifter will move a long balance beam undeniably.
Very easy to see. The torsion arm is even better, you can make the thing
spin complete revolutions. When the shield is added, nothing happens.
I know it is going to be suggested that the added weight of the shields
increased the weight and swamped the "effect". This thought was not lost on
my, so I hung the shield just below the test Lifter, with the lifter exposed
to air, to see if it could visibly push the added mass of the shields. It
did with little difficulty. When the lifter was then placed within the
shield, no thrust.
I suggest, if anyone else wishes to try this, to run one lead wire up from
the floor to the lifter, and one down from the ceiling to it, and make the
wires meet close to the pivot or axis of the balance beam. Otherwise, the
lead wires will give artifacts.
--Kyle
