electricity from thin air?

[saturnsc2]

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/915226/free_electricity_from_thin_air/

[ghurd]

Yes.

It is as old as broadcast radio, maybe older.

It is one of those things that will bring the FCC, FAA, neighbors, etc, knocking at your door.  None of them will be happy.

Free to whom is the question.

I can get free 120VAC 60HZ if I plug an extension cord into the neighbor's outlet.

If he does not catch me, and I post a video on U-Tube, does that make it "Free Power"?

I did not pay for it, except for the extension cord.

And the cost effectiveness is far better per KWH than $2 for that thing in the link.

G-

[saturnsc2]

i don't understand why would this be a problem?  your allowed to receive radio signals.  this contraption seems to draw elecricity from the radio signals to use to power little devices.

[wooferhound]

I watched the video and I would say that a digital multimeter is quite capable of reading voltages out of the air using the supplied leads. The cell phone charging doesn't convince me either. If he hooked up some LEDs and they lit up, then I would look at it a bit closer.

I don't exactly understand why you would need a Circuit to do this

http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2008/7/24/01353/8229

[kurt]

i have heard of people making 4' florescent tubes glow enough to be useful for lighting  using some antenna wire wound in a coil around the tube and hooked up the proper way but you have to be really close to the radio transmitter for that to work and if enough people do it it shortens the transmission range of the station in any direction were there is a concentration of those devises. so it is not free power. it is done in third world countries were people are too poor to afford electricity i have heard of radio stations paying police to go around to homes in areas around there transmitters and confiscate florescent tubes. to get there transmission range back.  

[12AX7]

Hello

Back in the 60s I did a lot of SWL (shortwave listening), and my antennas were all "long wire".   I strung them everywhere in all lengths and all types of wire.

Frequently these antenna gave me "jolts" that left lasting impressions!

We didn't have DVMs or LEDs to check for voltage, but we did have neon lamps.  It wasn't uncommon to put a neon lamp across the ground and antenna at the receiver to help cut down on noise.  Sometimes between the "stray voltage" on the antenna and the floating chassis (an old TUBE Hallcrafters SuperSky Rider) was a BAD mix along all the other (mom and dad called it crap)Radios, transmitters,signal tracers,RF generators,AF generators,Sillyscopes,tube testers, more radios, VTVMs and stuff I can no longer remember that was on my desk.   Touching the wrong combination and you were sitting on the floor with curly hair.

As long as the wire isn't "transmitting" RF I don't think that the FCC would care what you're doing.   As long as the wire is below the local airport height maximum (I recall something about over 75 feet needing a beacon) the FAA wouldn't care.

With all that said,  yes depending whats near by and the transmitted RF (both frequency and output power and near by power transmission lines (voltage and current)

You can "harvest" plenty of voltage on a "long wire".   How much could be VERY unpredictable and might even be dangerous, for example...

Back in the early 70s I worked at furniture factory.  It was in a very old four story building.  On the roof was a "huge" dust collection system run by an 100hp motor (fan about 15ft di.)  There was a steel cable (1/4 or 3/8in di) that ran from the blower on the roof to the first floor.  The cable allowed the people on the first floor to open/close a damper.  One day a fire broke out on the second floor.  Turns out that the steel cable had enough current inducted into it that caused a arc from the cable to the wooden floor to a fire sprinkler pipe.  It was the addition of a large bull planer (drawing more current on a power buss) that turned an 100 year old system into a fire hazard.

Yes, it could work but how one would regulate the power could drive a person to drink.

I think you'd be dealing with high voltage, but very low current.

There are LOTS of stories of "stay voltages" causing "issues" for live stock and people.

AX7

Mark

p.s.   don't forget to wrap your head with foil when using your cell phone!  

[12AX7]

Hello!

Back in my CB/amateur radio days we frequently lit up florescent lamps with RF.

I recall a friend with a linear amp in his car,  we'd pull into the local AW and he'd key up his mic and "modulate" the overhead lights.

While converting an old military aircraft transmitter for amateur use I could light a florescent lamp while holding it in my hand up over my head (while in the ham shack).

(back before home microwaves!).

I had never heard of a florescent lamp collecting RF energy and preventing the signal from propagating.  Rather than the cops taking peoples lamps I'd think the FCC would back the peoples rights to receive that RF energy!  to do with as they please.  L

By the way,  now a days I'd not want to be anywhere there's enough RF to light a lamp!

ax7

Mark

[captain nodge]

I see that theres a small gadget on the market that charges micro batts from

wi fi waves,lost the link but sure it would be easy anough to google, for the crack

[wooferhound]

http://www.google.com/search?q=airnergy+wifi&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:
en-US:official&client=firefox-a