Re: Today Tech

Jerry Wayne Decker ( jwdatwork@yahoo.com )
Fri, 15 Jan 1999 11:14:50 -0800 (PST)

Hi Tony et al!

Your comment about it working everytime with an anticlockwise spin is
intriguing as you are in Australia.

I'll have to try that with mine...ordered the perpetuator and I'll
maybe post a picture of the thing running. Also while hunting for
this $80 toy, found a $5 hand spinner version that looks like a
flashlight with a tip on the end...you hold it to the spinner and
crank it up, then pull away....thought about getting one and still
might, but I much prefer the idea of the coil that causes the thing to
spin (and float) as long as power is applied....put some sparklies on
it, shine a laser and blind everyone..<g>....being a Dilbert in my own
corner cubicle all day, various people pass by and this would be a
cool diversion...along with my 'perpetual motion' kinetic sculpture
that uses a hidden 9 volt battery...its fun when people ask how long
has that thing been running thinking it is some kind of selfrunning
thing....good to promote it ya know..<g>...but I do explain it is a
hidden battery..can't wait for the levitator power coil.

---Roger Weichert wrote:
>
> G'day Jerry, Tony and all
>
>
> >Hi Tony!
> >
> >Yes, the Levitron is interesting and I tend to ignore all the sales
> >pitches about perpetual and ufo....I have the Super Levitron and I as
> >well as a lot of my friends have never been able to get it to spin
> >more than about 2 seconds
>
> snip
>
> I have had a levitron for a year and have had varied results with
it. In
> different locations it can be quite difficult to get it to go, but
when it
> finally does it's amazing.
>
> I took it to show my folks and spent 2 hrs. trying to show it off. In
> frustration , and with my fingers worn out from trying to spin it, I
used my
> left hand and spun it anti-clockwise and it worked every time.
>
> The longest it has spun is just over 2 minutes.
>
> In regard to the perpetuator, I would love one too, but I assume
that you
> would still have to have the levitron "flying" before you could
switch it on
> to keep it going.
>
> You have to regularly change the weight on it while trying to get it
to go.
> The idea seems to be to have just enough weight, that when you lift
the
> launcher table gently upward, a few mm. at a time , then slowly
down, to
> find the point where the levitron will float off gently, only rising
a few
> extra mm.
>
> If it leaps off 5 or 6 or more mm. it will crash pretty smartly.
This is
> where you find out if the base is level or not. Watch which way it
goes and
> then wedge up the base to compensate.
>
> I thought I would cheat and use a spirit level to get the base level
before
> I started, but that was most unsuccesful.
>
> I started to think of all sorts of esoteric reasons as to why the
base being
> perfectly level didn't help but suspect that it is simply that the
field of
> the base magnet is not perfectly symetrical, nor could I expect it
to be.
>
> Even once it is "flying" well, you regularly have to adjust the
weight to
> get a succesful launch.
>
> Regards. Roger Weichert.

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