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ESD Detectors: Any Use?

Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2017 3:11 am
by ian_krase
A few days ago I saw an electronics store selling for pretty cheap a handheld device which I believe to be some form of miniature electrometer able to detect the electric fields thrown off of electrodes charged to fusorish voltages, from a standoff distance of several inches.

I am curious whether anybody thinks that this would be a useful tool for fusioneering. (Note that contact HV probes rated for 50 kV seem to be rather rare!)

Re: ESD Detectors: Any Use?

Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2017 3:23 am
by Jerry Biehler
It wont be anywhere near accurate.

Sencore makes a 50kv probe: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sencore-HP200-5 ... SwEzxYbCHt

Re: ESD Detectors: Any Use?

Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2017 5:44 am
by ian_krase
Obviously it wouldn't be a good quantitative measurement.

But I sort of wondered whether it would be useful for profiling e-fields or getting a rough idea.

Re: ESD Detectors: Any Use?

Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2017 1:23 pm
by Richard Hull
If merely profiling E-fields is really important to you, then go for it. Of course, it won't help getting fusion done at all. All such devices are, indeed some form of inexpensive electrometer with easily destroyed FET front ends.

Richard Hull

Re: ESD Detectors: Any Use?

Posted: Sat Sep 16, 2017 6:43 pm
by ian_krase
Oh? What kind of electrometer is harder to destroy?


Also, would it be useful for mass spectrometer type ion detectors?

Re: ESD Detectors: Any Use?

Posted: Sat Sep 16, 2017 10:47 pm
by Bob Reite
One with a vacuum tube ("valve" in the UK) instead of an FET.

Re: ESD Detectors: Any Use?

Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2017 4:45 am
by ian_krase
I should have figured. I'd be curious if you know of any guides to such things, especially that will be meaningful to somebody not experience with tubes.