Fusion Message Board

In this space, visitors are invited to post any comments, questions, or skeptical observations about Philo T. Farnsworth's contributions to the field of Nuclear Fusion research.

Subject: Re: A heretical thought
Date: Mar 16, 5:13 pm
Poster:

On Mar 16, 5:13 pm, wrote:

>Might I add that the big cost in IEC efforts is labor. Also that the labor tends to largely be done by grad students who move on to careers (not in IEC) in a year or two, when they are barely starting to "get it."
>
>The "high cost" is relative -- nothing on a Fusor need cost more than a few tens of thousands of dollars even for a deluxe, high-tech device. Thousands of dollars is more like it, or hundreds, or dollars, or even cents (for something like a new grid shape). These ain't 12-billion $$$ tokamaks, just underfunded.
>
>A determined and clever amateur, particularly a good scrounge like Richard, could pursue ideas such as this, possibly to good end, at a fairly modest cost. Ideas for enhancing star mode, packet timing, etc, have barely been explored.
>
>Which is why we're cheering you guys on.
>

Any idea as to how much an ion gun suitable for IEC would cost to build or buy?.