MARCONI WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY c1919 LIFEBOAT SPARK TRANSMITTER Type 241C

[Mike O'Dell]

my episode as a menace to the ionosphere involved a very large
Tesla coil powered by a 15kv neon sign transformer, spark gap,
and window-pane capacitor. (Yes, Popular Electronics)

oh yes, a 200 foot long-wire antenna connected to the HV terminal.

the St. Elmo's fire was quite impressive at night. I played with it
for about half an hour when the phone in the house rang. My mom said
it was a ham friend from across town. He wanted to know if I was
"doing anything". I asked why he was asking. He said that nobody
with an antenna could get squat, and it was even getting into the
CATV plant. He strongly suggested I stop whatever I was not doing
IMMEDIATELY and NOT DO IT AGAIN. Which I complied with.

	    -mo