Mercury arc rectifiers are among the big boys. The biggest are in steel tanks but the largest glass ones are not small. I have a medium sized one which can be seen working on the "MAR" page of my website.

True story Big Tube related.
 

A ham radio buddy of mine had some odd stuff stolen out of his garage, including a large transmitter tube from an old radio station. Being in a less-than ideal part of town one of the kids asked what happened . He told the kid that someone stole some old parts and that they were "radio active" and that he felt bad for the thief "cause in a week or so they'll be dead" The stuff was on his lawn the next morning!

ROFLOL!
reminds me of a neighbor who had a problem with getting batteries stolen from his spare car.
after the 4th one he asked me for help.
i had him disconnect the positive cable at the starter.i then installed a 24v aircraft battery.
2 weeks later the hood was ajar and the battery missing.
a few days later there was a big commotion a few doors up in the alley.kids were pushing a smoking car out of their garage.it was on fire under the dash.
after the fire dept got done putting it out(what was left of it)one of the firemen asked who was the idiot that put the 24v battery in it?
never had any more batteries stolen!

:lmao: :lmao:
Last two posts I find both very clever and very very funny.

Tom C.

Hehe... I woulda taken the 24V and wired each terminal to some thin aluminum foil strips running down the side... then painted the aluminum with conductive black paint. Nasty surprise for someone that tries to pick it up.
Mind you, they'd have to be on the same side so the current only goes through the hand and not the heart...

I've always had the idea, that once I get and have a 1940's car as a daily driver, to equip it with an electric fence supply, flyback circuit or some such to stun any would be thieves or vandals bad enough to make them want to stay the heck away from my car.

Ahh, nowadays you'd end up gettin' sued by the dam crooks...

Sadly yes... Solution? dead people can't sue. and if you have a sign on your car that warns of a shock hazard, you're in the clear... they were warned :P Doesn't matter if they thought it was a joke or not.

...if you have a sign on your car that warns of a shock hazard, you're in the clear... they were warned...

This assumes that they can read!! :nono:

Well if they can't read and are older than 7 than they will have far worse things to worry about...Life threatening things like not knowing the difference between bleach and botteled water and not being able to check facebook (which some of my college classmates who use the service claim can cause them to die :lmao:).
And if they are younger than 7 their folks should have told them not to be touching other peoples cars.

I honestly think 3/4 of the women & about a good third of the men 'round here WOULD fold up 'n' die if the cellfone service here kwit for some reason....When I was a kid, if I messed w/some neighbor's stuff, he'd give me a good talkin' to, then take me home, tell my parents what happened, & I'd get a whuppin' for sure...

Re: not being able to read: I was picturing "adults" not being able to, not kids! :yes:

I figured as much, and merely mentioned them so it would not be pointed out that I did not take them into account.

I love this stuff....its funy when you needed something more powerful, even to this day, you just make it bigger.....and bigger, and bigger. Litearlly. Regular engines not big enough to move barges? make them 4 stories tall with stars and a catwalk! need more transmitting power? make bigger tubes! and etc etc etc, lol

Mark

Ayup. I always had a strange desire for a Pratt & Whitney Wasp Major, probably one of the largest aircraft piston engines ever built. It had 28 cylinders, & displacement of 4362 cubic inches-71.5 liters. I have absolutely no use for th' damthing, but wouldn't it be Kewl to have one sittin' in yr Mancave to show off & wow yr friends with ?!? (grin)