Re: Sweet VTA

Doug Renner ( dougr@adeptit.com )
Wed, 01 Jul 1998 13:12:10 -0500

crowekri wrote:

> I am very interested in Mr. Sweets' device is/has anyone here worked/ing
> on this? Would love to hear everyones comments and ideas about this
> remarkable man and his remarkable invention. I am mostly curious as to
> the importance of the magnets utilized. Anyone know if they were
> conditioned in some way and if so how?
>
> Thanks, crowekri

Yes, they were conditioned in a manner which apparently made the poles more
susceptible to flip-flopping when the two magnets were arranged in a
repulsive
configuration during operation and a small 60 Hz stimulus was applied from a
signal
generator. Also, the conditioning made the permanent magnets resonant at
60 Hz.

As to the method of conditioning, KeelyNet files describe a possible thermal

process, whereby the magnet is heated past its critical point, while
surrounded by a
coil, which is driven at the desired resonant frequency.

An article several years ago in Space Energy News (published out of Florida)
relates a
conversation someone had with Floyd "Sparky" Sweet, wherein the inventor's
preferred
method of conditioning was detailed, and yes it was truly novel. Here's
what I can remember:

He took an old TV set, and adjusted the vertical & horizontal so that the
image size would
approximately match the largest surface of one magnet. He ran a wire from
the CRT's
electron gun, (or something on that side of the circuit) our the window and
atached it to
an antenna. He wound magnet wire around the permanent magnet and held it up
to the active
CRT, with the brightness turned up. He then repeatedly pulsed the coil
surrounding the
magnet using a highly charged capacitor. He said this "shocks" the magnet.

Sweet also said there are many methods of conditioning, but that the TV
method was the best.

Doug Renner