Some of the later editions of Scientific American's old column "The
Amateur Scientist" are once again online. Articles for 1999, 2000,
and 2001 are now visible on the SciAm site, and older articles are
again available on archive.org

Here's an updated links page:

The Amateur Scientist
http://amasci.com/amateur/sciam1.html



((((((((((((((((((((((( ( ( (o) ) ) )))))))))))))))))))))))
William J. Beaty Research Engineer
beaty a chem washington edu UW Chem Dept, Bagley Hall RM74
billb a eskimo com Box 351700, Seattle, WA 98195-1700
ph206-762-3818 http://staff.washington.edu/wbeaty/

beat... at (no spam) gmail.com wrote:
Some of the later editions of Scientific American's old column "The
Amateur Scientist" are once again online. Articles for 1999, 2000,
and 2001 are now visible on the SciAm site, and older articles are
again available on archive.org

Here's an updated links page:

The Amateur Scientist
http://amasci.com/amateur/sciam1.html

((((((((((((((((((((((( ( ( (o) ) ) )))))))))))))))))))))))
William J. Beaty Research Engineer
beaty a chem washington edu UW Chem Dept, Bagley Hall RM74
billb a eskimo com Box 351700, Seattle, WA 98195-1700
ph206-762-3818 http://staff.washington.edu/wbeaty/

Does that include the classics, like the home X-Ray machine?
I expect that if SciAm printed that today there would be $zillion law
suits flying around. Maybe even with the fairly harmless home linear
accelerator.

--
Dirk

http://www.transcendence.me.uk/- Transcendence UK
Remote Viewing classes in London

Some of the later editions of Scientific American's old column "The
Amateur Scientist" are once again online. Articles for 1999, 2000,
and 2001 are now visible on the SciAm site, and older articles are
again available on archive.org

Does that include the classics, like the home X-Ray machine?
I expect that if SciAm printed that today there would be $zillion law
suits flying around. Maybe even with the fairly harmless home linear
accelerator.

beatywj at (no spam) gmail.com wrote:

Some of the later editions of Scientific American's old column "The
Amateur Scientist" are once again online. Articles for 1999, 2000,
and 2001 are now visible on the SciAm site, and older articles are
again available on archive.org

Here's an updated links page:

The Amateur Scientist
http://amasci.com/amateur/sciam1.html



((((((((((((((((((((((( ( ( (o) ) ) )))))))))))))))))))))))
William J. Beaty Research Engineer
beaty a chem washington edu UW Chem Dept, Bagley Hall RM74
billb a eskimo com Box 351700, Seattle, WA 98195-1700
ph206-762-3818 http://staff.washington.edu/wbeaty/


Does that include the classics, like the home X-Ray machine?
I expect that if SciAm printed that today there would be $zillion law
suits flying around. Maybe even with the fairly harmless home linear
accelerator.

I know someone that (ages ago) built his own 4MEV pulsed

I remember a dye laser that was *very* dangerous.

Some of the later editions of Scientific American's old column "The
Amateur Scientist" are once again online. Articles for 1999, 2000,
and 2001 are now visible on the SciAm site, and older articles are
again available on archive.org
Does that include the classics, like the home X-Ray machine?
I expect that if SciAm printed that today there would be $zillion law
suits flying around. Maybe even with the fairly harmless home linear
accelerator.

You can buy a CD-ROM which contains the complete run of The Amateur
Scientist, as well as The Amateur Astronomer and The Amateur Telescope
Maker (from 1928 to 2001!), plus a whole bunch of other stuff.,

I've seen it offered by several online merchants: one ishttp://www.surplusshed.com(item M2071, $24).

On Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:01:17 +0000, Leon wrote:

I remember a dye laser that was *very* dangerous.

It wasn't a dye laser that was dangerous---it was the Nitrogen UV pumping
laser that essentially worked off a huge about foot-square PCB used as a
high voltage capacitor. I still have this board somewhere.

On 11 Jul, 03:41, Dirk Bruere at NeoPax <dirk.bru... at (no spam) gmail.com> wrote:
beat... at (no spam) gmail.com wrote:
Some of the later editions of Scientific American's old column "The
Amateur Scientist" are once again online. Articles for 1999, 2000, and
2001 are now visible on the SciAm site, and older articles are again
available on archive.org

Here's an updated links page:

The Amateur Scientist
http://amasci.com/amateur/sciam1.html

((((((((((((((((((((((( ( ( (o) ) ) ))))))))))))))))))))))) William
J. Beaty Research Engineer beaty a chem washington edu UW Chem
Dept, Bagley Hall RM74 billb a eskimo com Box 351700, Seattle, WA
98195-1700 ph206-762-3818 http://staff.washington.edu/wbeaty/

Does that include the classics, like the home X-Ray machine? I
expect that if SciAm printed that today there would be $zillion law
suits flying around. Maybe even with the fairly harmless home linear
accelerator.

I remember a dye laser that was *very* dangerous.

When I was in HS, I saw two seniors trying to build the He-Ne laser.

On Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:01:17 +0000, Leon wrote:

On 11 Jul, 03:41, Dirk Bruere at NeoPax <dirk.bru... at (no spam) gmail.com> wrote:
beat... at (no spam) gmail.com wrote:
Some of the later editions of Scientific American's old column "The
Amateur Scientist" are once again online. Articles for 1999, 2000, and
2001 are now visible on the SciAm site, and older articles are again
available on archive.org

Here's an updated links page:

The Amateur Scientist
http://amasci.com/amateur/sciam1.html

((((((((((((((((((((((( ( ( (o) ) ) ))))))))))))))))))))))) William
J. Beaty Research Engineer beaty a chem washington edu UW Chem
Dept, Bagley Hall RM74 billb a eskimo com Box 351700, Seattle, WA
98195-1700 ph206-762-3818 http://staff.washington.edu/wbeaty/

Does that include the classics, like the home X-Ray machine? I
expect that if SciAm printed that today there would be $zillion law
suits flying around. Maybe even with the fairly harmless home linear
accelerator.

I remember a dye laser that was *very* dangerous.

When I was in HS, I saw two seniors trying to build the He-Ne laser.
I don't know if they succeeded.

Cheers!
Rich

przemek klosowski wrote:
On Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:01:17 +0000, Leon wrote:

I remember a dye laser that was *very* dangerous.

It wasn't a dye laser that was dangerous---it was the Nitrogen UV pumping
laser that essentially worked off a huge about foot-square PCB used as a
high voltage capacitor. I still have this board somewhere.


I recall reading about the N2 laser years ago, but could never find the
details again. Does anyone know a URL for the construction? IIRC it was
very simple.

--
Dirk

przemek klosowski wrote:
On Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:01:17 +0000, Leon wrote:

I remember a dye laser that was *very* dangerous.

It wasn't a dye laser that was dangerous---it was the Nitrogen UV pumping
laser that essentially worked off a huge about foot-square PCB used as a
high voltage capacitor. I still have this board somewhere.

I recall reading about the N2 laser years ago, but could never find the
details again. Does anyone know a URL for the construction? IIRC it was
very simple.

przemek klosowski wrote:
On Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:01:17 +0000, Leon wrote:

I remember a dye laser that was *very* dangerous.
It wasn't a dye laser that was dangerous---it was the Nitrogen UV pumping
laser that essentially worked off a huge about foot-square PCB used as a
high voltage capacitor. I still have this board somewhere.


I recall reading about the N2 laser years ago, but could never find the
details again. Does anyone know a URL for the construction? IIRC it was
very simple.

"Dirk Bruere at NeoPax" <dirk.bruere at (no spam) gmail.com> wrote in message
news:6durvrF4hh44U1 at (no spam) mid.individual.net...
przemek klosowski wrote:
On Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:01:17 +0000, Leon wrote:

I remember a dye laser that was *very* dangerous.
It wasn't a dye laser that was dangerous---it was the Nitrogen UV pumping
laser that essentially worked off a huge about foot-square PCB used as a
high voltage capacitor. I still have this board somewhere.

I recall reading about the N2 laser years ago, but could never find the
details again. Does anyone know a URL for the construction? IIRC it was
very simple.

--
Dirk

I still have the article about the dye laser somewhere. If I remember
correctly, it was pumped by a flash tube and the author used rarefied
air (i.e. many kilovolts across a tube being evacuated - flashes over
when the pressure gets low enough). There are construction details to
be found on the web for nitrogen (i.e. atmospheric air) lasers, such as
http://technology.niagarac.on.ca/people/mcsele/lasers/LasersTEA.htm

'Don't peer into output port with remaining eye', etc.

On 'Fifth Gear' shown on 'Dave' in the UK recently they did a piece
about devices one can buy that jam police laser speed-measuring guns.
The 'technician' fitting the kit to show car mumbled something about
early versions using "Class 4" IR lasers that would set fire to the
cardboard box if powered in their packing. Does that sound plausible?

On Jul 13, 11:53 am, Dirk Bruere at NeoPax <dirk.bru... at (no spam) gmail.com
wrote:
przemek klosowski wrote:
On Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:01:17 +0000, Leon wrote:
I remember a dye laser that was *very* dangerous.
It wasn't a dye laser that was dangerous---it was the Nitrogen UV pumping
laser that essentially worked off a huge about foot-square PCB used as a
high voltage capacitor. I still have this board somewhere.
I recall reading about the N2 laser years ago, but could never find the
details again. Does anyone know a URL for the construction? IIRC it was
very simple.

Search for TEA Nitrogen Laser

http://www.amasci.com/uvlas.gif
http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/lasercn2.htm
http://www.technology.niagarac.on.ca/people/mcsele/lasers/LasersTEA.htm