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Originally Posted by goldfinder
Thanks for good wishes, same to you JP,
Looks like some kind of ionization around metal in ground using high voltage. Probably not too good for land mine detection as most of the new ones have very little metal. However, the HV might set off the land mine.
So how does the ionization around metal that is induced by HV in ground get detected???
Another embarrassing question I suppose.
Goldfinder
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In the example of using high voltge from a truck to detect landmines it is expected that the landmine or other UXO may explode. This is the reason why a video camera and HV electrode is mounted on a boom, while the operators are in the back of the truck operating the equipment behind armour. While this method could have questionable value with nonmetallic landmines, we don't usually hunt for nonmetallic gold or silver, so it could be more suitable for that purpose if it actually works like the inventor says.
When you induce ionization around metal using a Tesla coil, you will see visual evidence called streamers and arcs. You can also sometimes hear a crackling noise. In some conditions you can even see a glowing related to corona discharge. But for most treasure hunting scenarios, I would rely on the streamers, arcs and crackling noise to indicate metal is close to the HV electrode.
Of course, this is all predicated on a presumption that this patent actually works in practice.
I also read an account of an LRL experimenter who built an LRL that had a Tesla coil in it as part of the antenna. As it turned out, this was not a high voltage Tesla coil. It was a spiral wound coil, which happened to be patented by Tesla as a method to add capacitance to a coil by the method of winding it. It operated at the antenna voltage without inducing any significant high voltage. It appeared to be a coupling coil used for impedance matching. I also saw where Esteban and a couple of others wound spiral coils in the antennas of their LRLs (also not high voltage). But Esteban did once report a high voltage LRL pistol he once built. As near as I can remember, it used a TV flyback transformer. He said something about taking precautions so he wouldn't get a shock. As I recall, he found marginal use from this detector, and moved on with other experimental pistols which used LEDs and VLF coils or AF coils for treasure hunting.
http://www.geotech1.com/forums/showp...7&postcount=45
Best wishes,
J_P