I'm back from the trip to California where I spoke to colleagues. A brief summary of where we stand on the blocking oscillator OU? device seems in order.
1. After months of development and learning, the initial device was tested by me using a Tektronix 3032 scope to measure I(t) as voltage drop across a 1-ohm resistor and V(t) and the instantaneous Power was displayed as the product: P(t) = V(t) * I(t). Then the Tek3032 was used to calculate the MEAN power from this waveform, over numerous cycles. Finally, I calculated n = Poutput / Pinput and found n ~ 8 for this circuit, by this method.
My early measurements involved hand-integration of the energy of the power waveforms for Pin and Pout, P(t) = V(t) * I(t), for one cycle, and these integrations yielding Ein and Eout also showed n>1 (back in the Feb-March 2011 time frame).
2. The same procedure using the Tek3032 was followed for an "exact-as-possible" replication of the circuit by Les Kraut, which showed again n ~ 8. At this point, I noted that we had "evidence for" (NOT "proof of") OU and shared the straightforward circuit design publicly, inviting any who wanted to test/develop the circuit to do so. It was the success of the replication and pushing by Sterling Allan that induced me to release the development publicly -- to those willing to build and test the device. I am a strong supporter of open source development of alternate-energy devices.
3. In both cases, mine and Les', the input power was tuned (using especially the variable resistors in the circuit) to be close to zero.
4. The low value of the input power was checked using the input-capacitor + stop-watch method, Ein = 1/2 CV**2 and Pin = Ein /time, and the values came out: 0.23 mW for my initial circuit and 1.1 mW for Les Kraut's replication, with the output LED dimly but visibly lit in both cases.
5. I urged replicators to assure that the Pinput was in this low range with the output LED lit, as a first test of whether the replication was in the same ballpark as our DUT's.
6. Chris built a replication then several versions, measuring n>1 but by a different method which was challenged... Chris found that sometimes the circuit would stop producing n>1 (by his measurement), and he worked on the stability of the circuit. He is attempting to build a self-running version as am I.
7. A few others built or are building replications, but again the power-measurement is a difficult issue, especially for the output power.
8. We discussed various power or energy measurement methods to check/complement the math-mean method using an advanced scope to evaluate power, including use of capacitors and use of a calorimeter. But the self-running system would be the most compelling (in my opinion and that of others).
9. It was noted that Russian work shows an apparently similar long-running blocking-oscillator circuit, again all solid state, but the Russian is hard to read and how long it runs is not yet understood.
Thanks for this link too and if you happen to figure out info on the runtime, please mention it here.
Gyula
Agreed -- again the link to the Russian blocking oscillator is here: http://freeenergylt.narod2.ru/vladimir_pantiuhov/ I have been to Russia for conferences on fusion energy a couple of times, but I do not read enough Russian to be of help in understanding Pantiuhov's work. If someone could post the "best" schematic from this Russian research, it would be appreciated.
10. As for myself, I'm planning to work on the circuit using first the method of capacitor-in and output-capacitors -- in order to better understand energy-flow in this circuit. Then I will proceed with an effort to build a self-runner. This may take several days or even weeks -- patience requested.
(Posted also at OU.com, where Chris has posted his development of this circuit, along with others.)