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  • Author Author: mayermakes
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Clem's Massive Hoarding Problem: High Voltage & Plasma in an "electrical healing apparatus" from yesteryear

mayermakes

I have a massive electronics hoarding problem..so in this blog I will be showing you my hoard and hopefully building the courage to give some pieces a new home.


The "HOCHFREQUENZ HEILAPPARAT Vindobona" - "High Frequency healing apparatus Vindobona".
This terrifying piece of 1930's (??) tech uses high voltage to power gas discharge tubes which were used for "healing purposes."  More terrifying is that you can still buy these in various configurations. The healing claims have been toned down in the current sale listings as there is a risk of doing more damage than good. But for me this thing is outright terrifying. No ground connection of the case, also not real isolated enclosure, directly powered by mains.

It consists of a rheostat and a high voltage transformer and gas discharge tubes in weird shapes. The sound this thing makes is only trumped by the spontaneous arks you can hear and see in the transformer. Ouch. Check out the video and let me know if you want it. These units fetch a pretty penny on ebay but I´d rather give it to another electronics nerd for cheaper.

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  • in reply to e14phil

    In one of my many jobs, I once worked with a company that developed medical devices in the skin and beauty care industry (skin rejuvenating laser and hair removal lasers).  These were FDA approved (so a minimal amount of quackery) devices and tested with quite exhaustive clinical trials.  The skin rejuvenating laser device would create a bunch of tiny laser pin pricks in the skin that would increase the collagen levels in the skin.  The hair removal device used a higher power laser, in the I/R ranges it would target the hair follicles, attempting to neutralize them.  This device could really generate some pain if you did not keep the tip moving through the treatment process.  We had special holders for these devices, and we could under computer control, cause them to fire multiple bursts of energy.  The holder was intended to hold the laser output port in contact with an energy meter to monitor the device output.  With the energy meters, more costly and in short supply, I would often fire the device into the air.  Only after doing some extensive testing of one of these devices, while testing the energy compensation algorithms, I began to notice the smell of something burning, only to notice smoke coming from a very dark spot on my desk. The cautionary message is that lasers are dangerous and should be treated as such, and always think about all the consequences of the actions that you are taking (i.e. high heat in close contact with flammable materials).

    Whoever ends up with this interesting device, please be careful! 

  • in reply to e14phil

    As they said in the movie 'The Road to Wellville',

    "...More amperes please Mr Woodbine..."   Grin

  • in reply to e14phil

    you know these wooowooo negative Ion devices that claim all sort of health beneftits..but all the do is filling your room with static and ozone?
    one technically appeared inan E14presents episode...I had to salvage it for parts for my static grass applicator build.
    So we do have a history of sham devices on the channel....

  • in reply to mayermakes

    The ENVIGORATING HEALTH benefits of ionizing radiation