Mr Lester J Hendershot's magnetic generator.

[morpher44]

Carbon and Aluminium

I've stumbled upon various interesting youtube videos where people show they
can make very effective batteries using carbon and Aluminium.
Now Hendershot's cylinders were Aluminium (and possibly the magnetic kind).
Hendershot was also rumored to have used carbon rods in his design.
We also know he hand-made his capacitor, by dismantling a perfectly good capacitor, removing the oil, cutting the foil a very special way, to specific dimensions with 3-plates rolled up around the cylinder.

Now, it occurs to me that not only do carbon and aluminium produce a very nice galvanic battery, there is also potential here for thermoelectric power generation.

Imagine carbon doped inside a hand-made capacitor.
Now imagine high-voltage ARCs between the plates and thru the carbon, with high-intensity HEAT at the atomic level in this carbon-aluminium mix.

This could explain why Hendershot's hand made capacitors seem to be damaged inside when you open them.

The power from this reaction may not be the entire story, but it might be useful in starting the machine w/o the need or appearance of manufactured batteries.

Anyway, I think this is an interesting area of research to pursue with respect to reverse engineering Hendershot.

[thx1138]

I'm looking at this again and saw one correction I need to make: The Ed Skilling schematic showed the three pole magnet but the poles had no polarity markings.

Question for someone who knows 50's television (maybe radar display) circuits: What's special about a vertical oscillator type transformer?

The last page of Mark M. Hendershot's From the Archives of Lester J. Hendershot shows a materials list the transformers are described this way:

5:1 Ratio 24 Volt to 120 Volt Transformers
(Vertical Oscillator Type)
Red, Black, Blue, Green Coded Wires

I was thinking that since Lester used a magnet from a radar magnetron the transformers might also be from a radar display. Or they could be from a regular TV circuit of the 50's.

I've found several types of "vertical transformers" (vertical blocking oscillator transformer, vertical deflection oscillator transformer, and vertical output transformer) but I don't know, nor did I find what, if anything, makes them a special kind of transformer. It just seems to me since they were specified that way that there is something special about them.

I think Graham said in an earlier post that they were built on an E & I frame with a gap between the E & I laminations when assembled. I can see where that would affect saturation but I'm wondering if there are other characteristics that differ from a power transformer. Phase - are the primary and secondary in phase or 180 degrees out? Are the laminations made of a special material that might affect their permittivity? Is there anything else that makes them special?

[thx1138]

More on radar magnets

The below images show only one side of the magnetron magnet. It is North in the center and South on the ends. The other piece is South in the center and North on the ends.
















If the Hendershot device utilizes the Wesley Gary neutral zone, that zone is not where we were thinking it is.

The magnets are quite powerful. The combined unit before disassembly would affect a compass about 3 1/2 feet away. Using one piece only, as shown in the L. Hendershot and Aho builds, the compass begins to move about 27 inches from the magnet which would project into the board holding the capcoils including the buzzer coils which are right in front of it.

There appears to be a neutral zone about 6 inches from the magnet. At about 4 inches one pole of the compass is strongly attracted to the magnet. At 6 1/4 inches the magnet needle is at 90 degrees. At 9 1/4 inches the opposite pole of the compass points toward the magnet.

You will notice the magnet shown in the above images is different from the Aho build. It is from a Russian radar magnetron which was the only thing I found that had the same physical configuration as the ones shown in the early Hendershot photos.

[thx1138]

Radar magnet poles

I received the radar magnetron and disassembled it. The separated magnets like are shown in the L. Hendershot and Aho builds have South poles on both ends and a North pole in the center. Since there is a hole in the center there is also what feels like a neutral zone there.

I'm not sure what this means yet but will look into it further.

[GSM]

Guys I have something to share on this thread and am in process myself of a replication from Lester Hendershot archive notes.

Gerry.

Thank you the Gerry link, also for your re-regenetion etc.
Neither for HF, nor for even making thx1138 - The Spin Field Ferrite Sleeve Antenna

Very Best Wishes ..... Graham.

[smoky]

Mr Hendershots Generator

Guys I have something to share on this thread and am in process myself of a replication from Lester Hendershot archive notes.

If anyone's looked at parametric oscillation/amplification as in eg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekaeS8AmerY and many others.

It can be seen we need to pump an oscillator circuit at twice it's resonant frequency to maintain free running oscillation.

In a photo of Lester Hendershot beside his machine a normal AM radio can be seen in the picture.
AM band covers from 525KHz to 1605KHz this radio was part of his test equipment.
He did not have or enjoy the ease of test gear we have today so was a pretty smart guy.

I believe he tuned each tank circuit coil for resonance on the low end of above AM band.
The drive excitation to do this comes from the local oscillator itself within the superheterodyne aerial winding inside the radio. By holding the radio's aerial in cabinet close to the basketweave coils he was likely able to tune them both close to identical.
If we label basketweave coil 1 as freq A and basket weave coil 2 as frequency B, by cross coupling them with coil windings we can have frequency A plus frequency B. Since they're just about equal frequencies we can say freq A=B which is same as Freq of 2 times A and two times B.
This is basic requirement for parametric amplification.

Now if you follow me so far these tank coils are not phase locked ...they're free running which means they will wander off frequency over a few hundred cycles so freq A minus freq B can be anywhere from 0 Hz thru to several hundred Hertz. Not a stable setup really.

In old CRT TV sets the vertical frame output frequency was 50Hz, in EUR countries and 60Hz in USA ( not to be confused with TV horizontal scan frequency of 15.625KHz).
So anyhow by using the two low frequency frame output transformers he was able to pick off the difference frequency between basketweave coil A and basket weave coil B. The small A & B difference would still allow parametric amplification to occur because running at 500KHz or so, when we divide the few hundred Hertz difference by the resonant frequency of 500 000 Hz the phase degrees per cycle error isn't very great.

The large electrolytics in series with his vertical output transformer primaries was to cancel the series inductance making them broadly series resonant at the low freq A - B.

The actual power generation I think is done by the magnetic buzzer, this is a threshold device, delicately balanced within a strong differential magnetic field. It was able to also respond at the low audio frequency difference rate between basket weave coils A and B. Once energised broad frequency high energy splatter (or RFI as we'd call it today) is enough to keep both basket weave coils shock excited and power the output circuit.

Basketweave design was for highest Q value he could achieve in the day, by minimising interwinding capacitance without access to todays ferrites.

In a modern design we'd probably use the spin field antenna approach instead eg The Spin Field Ferrite Sleeve Antenna

Hope this helps anyone else considering taking the project on.
Gerry

[thx1138]

Hi to you thx1138.

I have become very seriously unwell via thus column, but I also trust that you too and otherwise are remaining well.

I also expect remained expressed here, with your own remains similar completely usefull here, and still not yet properly investigated.

Very Best Wishes ..... Graham.

( Then check out the video link from 18:30 to 26:00 paying particular attention to your point out at 25:25. )

Sorry to hear of your problems. I am physically fine but have suffered a few hits with loved ones and finances recently.

Here's what is missing from the non-working builds. The magnets were said to be radar magnets and the ones shown look like what is used to make a radar magnetron. I don't know, however, how radar magnetron magnets are magnetized or what their field would look like. I think assuming the magnet is magnetized like a regular horseshoe magnet may be a mistake.


Note the jets coming out of the hole in the Primer Field videos and keep in mind that the plasma is just demonstrating the shape of the field. He never says, however, how his bowl magnets are magnetized other that saying they a "specially prepared".

Also note the underlined text in the bottom right of the image. Radar magnets are designed to create a magnetic field along the axis of the hole in the magnets which is what leads me to think they are not magnetized like a horseshoe magnet. The bottom, left image is just my guess as to how radar magnets are magnetized.

[GSM]

What is missing from all of the schematics and drawings and the builds that don't work that is in the builds of Lester Hendershot and the Aho build that did work?

Hi to you thx1138.

I have become very seriously unwell via thus column, but I also trust that you too and otherwise are remaining well.

I also expect remained expressed here, with your own remains similar completely usefull here, and still not yet properly investigated.

Very Best Wishes ..... Graham.

( Then check out the video link from 18:30 to 26:00 paying particular attention to your point out at 25:25. )

[thx1138]

What's missing?

What is missing from all of the schematics and drawings and the builds that don't work that is in the builds of Lester Hendershot and the Aho build that did work? Look at the attached paste up and see if you can see it.



Then check out the video at the following link from 18:30 to 26:00 paying particular attention to what is said at 25:25.
Primer Fields

[thx1138]

Hard drive magnets are magnetized in an unusual way..."

That explains it. I earlier just tested them at the ends, not the faces. I guess I'm done with this project. I'm not willing to spend $500 to build a project that no one even knows how it is supposed to work. With no access to radar magnetron magnets and no info on the magnet pole face size, type of magnet material, or magnetic field strength it is purely a shot in the dark that would cost too much for me to only light a light bulb. If I remember correctly, somone in the first tests said the magnet would need to be replaced after 2000 hours so it wouldn't even provide enough power to pay for itself. The replacement magnet cost would excede any benefit derived from the device. Of course that's not a factor in government sponsored projects like the early air force tests because they have virtually unlimited budgets.

[gyula]

I finally got my hard drive magnets ....
...

So maybe the hard drive magnets won't work. ...

Hi,

Hard drive magnets are magnetized in an unusual way with respect to "normal" magnets. They have two unlike poles on one side and also two unlike poles on the other side of their thickness. Here is video to show this:
How To Find The Polarity Of Hardrive Magnets - YouTube

For simple tests to find the neutral zone you could use soft iron like a keeper, no real need for a ferrite rod yet. The latter will be needed when you want to take out power from the coil wound on the keeper (to reduce eddy current which is bound to occur in a soft iron piece unless you use transformer laminations or indeed ferrite rod).

For the neutral zone, you need one pole say S from a rod or disk-like magnet facing one end of the keeper and the other pole say N from another rod or disk magnet while an iron yoke also bridges the other side of these two magnets (as a horse shoe shape does). In case of a hard disk magnet this 'one S - one N pole' facing the keeper cannot be achieved becasue there are always two poles at the edges of such magnets.

Gyula

[thx1138]

No neutral zone

I finally got my hard drive magnets and encased them in a resin block. The ones I received were only 45 degree arcs so I had to use four per layer to get a 180 degree arc to simulate the horseshoe magnet. I stacked them four high. I should have had 5 layers from the 20 magnets but broke one getting it off of the backing plate and dropped another one and it broke.

I sanded away the resin around the ends of the arc to expose the ends of the "horseshoe" with a belt sander. The field at the ends was strong before sanding but stronger still after sanding.

I couldn't find a neutral line by trying GSM's experiment with the rod and coil. I can get the compass needle to spin but I'm using a larger compass and the needle is mounted on a wheel showing five degree markings. I think it is more the momentum of the compass wheel carrying the wheel around to the next pole than a neutral zone. I also didn't have and couldn't find a ferrite rod locally so used steel.

So maybe the hard drive magnets won't work. I'm not sure where to go from here. I'll probably try a soft iron rod if I can find it.

[pjotterkjen]

Thanx for your pointers thx1138, will continue my research this weekend, finally hope to have a bit more free time to continue my testing too.

[thx1138]

Barkhausen effect

An excellent video to understand the Hendershot Mk3 is at the link below. At about 2:56 the demonstration uses a soft iron rod. Note that the static created by the amplifier is heard both when the magnet is moving toward and away from the coil. It also explains why iron is preferable to steel and shows, while using the steel bolt, the effect of reversing the magnetic field.
The Barkhausen effect - YouTube

Looked at in this light, the rest of the Hendershot device is the amplifier.

[thx1138]

Resonant Ring Cavity

I stumbled upon this this morning and it really grabbed my attention.

This first link is to the original article that got my attention. It is about sound and that interested me because sound is a longitudinal wave. The phrases that stood out were:

"a new physical mechanism to break time-reversal symmetry and subsequently induce nonreciprocal transmission of waves". Non-reciprosity is a key to OU, i.e. don't consume the dipole.

"At the core of the team's sound circulator is a resonant ring cavity" which got me thinking about the Hendershot cap/coils.
To hear without being heard: First nonreciprocal acoustic circulator created

I explored "ring cavity"and "ring resonator" which took me to the following links. Most of what I found was about light and lasers but it may be applicable to magnetic circuits also.
Ring Resonators
Scroll down a bit in that PDF file and the drawings should grab your attention.

For those of you looking at ring magnets, the following animation should get your attention.
Optical Ring Resonator

The other thing that popped up in my mind was Eric Dollard's explanation of the fields of DC transmission lines being between the conductors, i.e. the straight lines outside the ring resonators.

I haven't really figured out how this ties into Hendershot other than the north/south parallel lines of the earth's magnetic field lines could be a clue and the fact that the magnet in the Mk3 being between everything else.

Seems this would have major interest to those working on the Mk1 and 2.

Other chores to do today so I'll come back to it later but thought I should pass this along.

For more info seardh "ring cavity"and "ring resonator". There's a lot of it out there.