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Tesla coil protects your car with ring of lightning
If you ever thought car security wasn't dramatic enough, this Tesla-coil automobile protector should satisfy your desire for spectacle. Attaching a 4-inch coil to a boom on the roof of his car, Australian Peter Terren created what is no doubt the coolest-looking theft deterrent to ever be built into a motor vehice. Terren captured the photo above, showing the coil's ring of electricity (which he calls the Eye of Sauron, after the character in The Lord of the Rings), with time-lapse photography.
Putting aside for a second that such a security system would be about one one-thousandth legal, the Eye would certainly scare away any casual thieves, though determined ones could probably disable it easily enough (just off the top of my head, pulling down the boom with a rope). Nonetheless, it's definitely the most wicked form of vehicle security we've ever seen — even if it's not as effective as a MagnaVolt.
Tesla Downunder, via Gizmowatch
By DavemanXP at 8:53 AM ON 02/22/07
AWESOME! I want one! LOL. I would imagine getting just a little too close would give one a Phylis Diller hairdo.
Dude - I'm not sure how a Tesla coil works, but I would imagine trying to take down the coil-tower would result very much the same as if you walked into it. Electricity will reach down the rope and give you a Buh Wheet transition - only smokin!
That does look cool though.., something right out of pages of a sci-fi novel
By outofmilk at 5:30 AM ON 02/23/07
Eye of Sauron? More like Rectum of Thor.
By Joxter at 2:05 PM ON 02/24/07
Looks like a bug-zapper on steroids!
How do I get one?
By ShadowChild at 8:52 PM ON 02/27/07
OMFG!!! I want that...
Can it be activated from inside the car? How cool would it be to be driving around with it turned on? HAHA!!!
By Tesladownunder at 1:24 AM ON 02/28/07
This is my photo taken with a 30 second exposure with a TC running about 2-3kW. My son was apprehensive but is safe.
For more and better photos drop in to my site.
http://tesladownunder.com
By hysteresis at 3:21 AM ON 03/07/07
Is there a spinning contact on the top of the collector in order to get the circular pattern or did it occur naturally? What is the make model and year of the vehicle I couldn't pin it down?
By Tesladownunder at 10:21 AM ON 04/08/07
Car is a Hyundai Getz but who cares? It was a rental as I don't own one. I took out extra insurance just in case.
The motor gear cae is matal and the top of the coil contacts that. Doesn't matter, though, it could be 6 inches away and would just spark across the gap.
By SOMSAK KERDMONGKOL at 12:21 PM ON 09/15/08
awesome
By Anonymous at 2:40 AM ON 12/01/08
залупа конская
By lennier1 at 1:56 PM ON 12/28/08
I´d rather use the system from South Africa where they mounted flame throwers below the passenger doors. Definitely gives the thief a warm welcome.
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I´d rather use the system from South Africa where they mounted flame throwers below the passenger doors. Definitely...More »