Thanks for the replies....I have done those testes with the copper tube and the pie plate...not really sure if the magnet is creating magnets of opposite polarity (around the magnet itself)...,but weaker(so they are attracting,... slowing the descent)??.....or if it creates magnets of the same polarity( ahead of the falling magnet)... ,but weaker(so they are repelling ,...slowing the descent)??
The idea for the fork was to have each half of the fork insulated from itself ,..then use the two halves to be the coil connections ,since AL is a conductor......not sure if that's clear..
JW ...the rotors are steel ,..the AL cut-out were placed over top of the magnet stacks(on my first build) just to hold them in place..
I'm still trying to understand your edit#2...?
Fab...I screwed up the pole spacing on that rotor...I just use spray foam that way it is easy to take apart...it works well for holding the magnets in place...lot less work than the aluminum retainers.....
I tested the twelve poles with one of my coils, with the blank metal spinning with the rotor,..the output was only half of my open pole idea....but I don't think it's an accurate test because of the pole spacing.........artv