Hi Bryan,
When I said that quartz crystal works like a diode, then I meant it more like a metaphor. And I agree with what you posted above I also have built a HHG and even a cloudbuster. To test if there is anything different near the HHG, I puta a bowl of water on top of the HHG and put all this in the fridge. The interesting fact is that the water, that was frozen on top of a HHG had some kind of "spikes" in it. Heres a picture of the spikes in the ice:
http://www.bildez.lv/bildes/jetijs/h...1169422792.jpg
http://www.bildez.lv/bildes/jetijs/h...1169422795.jpg
And heres some pictures with water frozen without the HHG influence:
http://www.bildez.lv/bildes/jetijs/h...1169678043.jpg
http://www.bildez.lv/bildes/jetijs/h...1169678046.jpg
No spikes in the second samples
The spikes are simply extended bubbles that are forming on the bowl surface when the water is poured in. When the water starts to freeze, it freezes form all outer sides simultaneously and slowly take the little bubbles away from the bowl surface, leaving only a long thin hole representing the path of the bubble. This does not appear or appears in a very small amount when the HHG is not near the water