Here is a little trivia for those who might need to know in the future.

There are many battery operated electrical gadgets out there ( electric fly-swatter ) that can provide as much pain as a violet wand due to their higher amperage.

Mylar which is normally an insulator, can become a conductor if it is coated with a metallic film.

When using a body contact probe, bear in mind that the longer it is, (air-gapped cable) the weaker your output will be on the other end since electricity dissipates (into the air) as it travels.

Violet wands still produce an electro - magnetic field even if the knob is turned down and it's not "buzzing"  This will heat the coils and degrade them and possibly burn out your wand. 

Violet ray devices can still be sold and bought in the U.S. because they are considered a quack medical device which is collectable.

A set of contacts vibrate back and forth and this causes the familiar buzzing sound you hear while operating a wand.

The ETP BD-10 leak detector is a close tesla coil cousin to the violet wand and can be used as a violet wand if you change the capacitor in it.

Back in the 1930's, all but two companies had stopped producing Violet rays due the economic crisis and in the 1940's due to World War II.

The Guild does have a secret symbol if you ever have a need to use it.  It is the same as the electrical symbol for a signal generator.

A lot of articles refer to the wand as a high - frequency device when in reality it is classified as a medium frequency according to the standard electromagnetic frequency spectrum tables.

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In the year 2005 I saw an old VR in an antique shop in downtown Wyandotte.  At the time I didn't know what it was.  I was intrigued that back in the 30's they had an item that I deemed futuristic for its time.  It came with 6 electrodes in a case for $50.00.  After doing some research on the web I decided that I must have this item.  Unfortunately by this time, it was gone. 

After looking around I discovered that I could have a new one by a company called EE.  They had the best price with a lifetime warranty.  I was overjoyed and had a custom unit put together my way.  With the purchase I was given membership in the International Violet Wand Guild at no charge to me. 

Well, I wasn't into the scene or kink or any other things happening there but stayed on to learn.  I was accepted for who I was and took the exams as I worked my way up.  I experimented with the medical and healing aspects of the wand. 

As you can see, I am still here doing Admin work and promoting the use of the wand.  Of course I don't use it as most of you do but I am not here to judge but to keep on learning and helping out where I can.

TJGS
 

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Author	Message
HaloInverse [50] Novitiate     15 posts Location: Saskatoon Canada Occupation: Freelance/Student Age: 36	2006-11-11 00:36 GMT-5 hours - #4780
	Due to an unfortunate event years ago, when I finally acquired a violet wand of my own I didn't even plug it in for the first time without researching and acquiring some electrical safety equipment. A comment made in the E.E. discussion forum a few months ago (by ixlr8, actually) indicated that my equipment may be redundant - but I'm pretty sure each piece of gear I'm using has a distinct purpose, so I'd like to confirm (or disprove) the necessity of all this. (I'm posting this here, rather than as a thread reply, as I'm not an E.E. customer yet, nor am I using E.E. equipment.) I have an outlet wiring tester with a GFCI test button, a GFCI box with self-test button (assembled from off-the-shelf parts, tested with the outlet tester), and a one-outlet surge suppressor (with ground and protection lights), and a set of sectional foam mats (like exercise mats with interlocking puzzle-piece edges). At small gatherings or events, my standard setup procedure is as such: First, I check the outlet with the wiring tester, to make sure hot/neutral/ground are OK; then, set up the mats in the work area to prevent grounding through floor nails or other conductive floor bits (as well as check for other nearby potential ground sources); then, I plug in the surge suppressor and check the protection light; then plug in the GFCI into the surge suppressor and test that it's working; then plug in the wand and go nuts, ensuring that both I and my subject(s) aren't touching both the wand and anything leading off the mats at the same time. (Whew! Longer to explain than to do...) (Some of these steps may be relaxed, depending on circumstance.) To the best of my knowledge, the GFCI and the surge suppressor perform different functions. The GFCI is intended to cut power if the current flowing out of the "hot" wire doesn't match the current flowing into the "neutral" wire - i.e. current flowing out of the device, possibly through a person, and into a ground. The surge suppressor is being used not only to protect the wand (and users) from incoming voltage spikes, but also to minimize outgoing voltage spikes - apparently violet wands can generate significant electrical noise, which can be passed back into the outlet and damage or disrupt anything else plugged into the same circuit without its own surge suppressor (computers, stereos, etc. - pretty much what I figure happened during the "unfortunate event".) I have discussed this setup with two other out-of-town violet wand users at events over the past several months, both of whom were somewhat surprised by my setup. One of them had simply started unplugging all major electronics when they were playing with the wand, and resetting any digital clocks when they were done. The other did not comment as much on his own experiences, although he appeared to consider my setup as new to him (though he was familiar with the devices from other contexts). I understand that the pads I use are slightly redundant - if the subject became grounded through a floor nail and there was a wiring failure in the wand, the GFCI would kick in, and there would just be a sharp-but-non-lethal shock and an interruption of play. Using just the pads, there would only be a hazard if a ground path intruded into the play area (which can happen in chaotic environments). Using just one or the other would probably be technically safe, but using both protects against inconvenience (and wandering spectators) as well. However, I disagree that the GFCI and the surge suppressor are truly redundant, relative to each other. The way I see it, just about everything I use serves some unique purpose, safety-wise. Is there some aspect of wand design that would make some or all of my "standard party setup" unnecessary? (Edit: Post was bloody long. Some details/phrasing precision snipped. Will fill in if relevant.)     This post was edited by HaloInverse (2006-11-11 00:43 GMT-5 hours, --- ago)
MS [70] Journeyman     254 posts Location: Chillicothe, Ohio United States Occupation: BDSM Age: 39	2006-11-11 00:45 GMT-5 hours - #4781
	No, the GFI or GFCI or there for safety with the use of a violet wand. There are other safety steps in place in the newer violet wands them self. But the GFI or GFCI is a good tool to have and most clubs or groups, or even private play partys wont allow use of a violet wand with out those tools in place.       Lighting people on fire with the wand is so much fun! :D 99% of BDSM can be done with a violet wand! What you want it turned up higher.. Ok!!
CyberDude [75] Journeyman of Mark     149 posts http://www.jmeeting.com Location: Maryland United States Occupation: Zen Master of Pervisim Age: 48	2006-11-11 01:21 GMT-5 hours - #4782
	For sure a GFCI and surge protector are quite different. The surge protector you could live without, but it's for sure nice to have the GFCI for safety. Most surge protectors are based on MOV's (Metal Oxide Varistors), which don't conduct unless the voltage gets above I think it's like 160v, but I would have to go look that up. Bottom line is that if you get a high voltage surge that's above that threshold then MOV will start conducting and in esence short out that surge voltage. They work wondeful, but are one shot devices, once they start conducting, that is the end of their life, and must be replaced. This is why many surge protectors have a light to show they have been tripped, as when that happens they no longer protect, and should be replaced. Now the question I am not sure of is if the vwand would trip them at the low current enough to destroy the MOV, I just don't know that one, and haven't tested it. On the other hand as you said above, the GFCI watches for variances between the Hot and Neutral power lines, implying the power is going someplace else if they are now equal. Here is a link on GFCI operation, and for sure they are always good to have for safety.. GFCI Information Hope this helps explain it all some.. -CD
HaloInverse [50] Novitiate     15 posts Location: Saskatoon Canada Occupation: Freelance/Student Age: 36	2006-11-11 05:23 GMT-5 hours - #4785
	Wow! Quick responses! Thanks! Something else about surge protectors (at least, the one I'm using) is that they protect against EMI noise passed in/out of the outlet. Mine can apparently handle a fair amount of moderate-level EMI before the MOVs fry (although a really strong voltage spike would probably still kill it). And I'm really using it more to protect other electronics in the building from EMI than to shield against big voltage spikes (though that's a bonus). I've been using mine for close to a year now, and haven't fried anything yet (that I wasn't intending to fry). And at $7-$10, when it does burn out, replacement is cheap...though I might still upgrade to this sort of thing eventually. The GFCI article is pretty decent, although I went into a little more detail before assembling my inline GFCI, since I'm trusting my life to my own wiring job. The Uncle Abdul/Woodsman Engineering article about the BB2 was what clinched my decision to go with a GFCI and EMI-filtering surge suppressor. Although my Belkin isn't as heavy-duty as the BB2, it is at least rated for 43 dB EMI suppression, and the 900-volt spikes mentioned would correspond to about 17.5 dB, if my calculations are correct, so in theory, it should hold...
AuburnGoddess [75] Journeyman of Mark     222 posts http://www.AuburnGoddess.com Location: Raleigh-Durham area, NC United States Occupation: The Devious Mistress Age: 45	2006-11-11 07:45 GMT-5 hours - #4786
	I also use both a portable GFI (the one sold by EE is small and does the job) and a surge suppressor power strip. I cover this in my demos with the reasons stated here - in essence, the GFI is to protect the people involved, the surge suppressor is to protect the toys and electronics. Using a power strip version surge suppressor also gives me a bit more extension and extra plug ins for lights, if needed. I plug the GFI into the wall, then the surge strip, then my on/off foot pedal, and lastly the wand. Any reason why this order should be changed? It sounds like Halo is plugging the GFI and surge protection in the opposite order?     Auburn Goddess The Devious Mistress ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ www.AuburnGoddess.com Violet Wand Toy Sluts should always conduct themselves well.
CyberDude [75] Journeyman of Mark     149 posts http://www.jmeeting.com Location: Maryland United States Occupation: Zen Master of Pervisim Age: 48	2006-11-11 13:22 GMT-5 hours - #4797
	Halo, when you look at various surge strips, you will see they come in various different ratings. A good surge strip will actually be a combination of MOV's and wound inductors. Needless to say having multiple MOV's is a good thing, and greatly increases the clamping capacity the strip can take against surge voltages, and of course the max current the strip can shunt before the MOV's melt down. FYI, I have seen MOV's blow apart from surges before. Also the inductors are what reduce the EMI, as high frequency does NOT like to pass through an inductive circuit. If you take apart a quality strip that is designed to clamp surges, and also reduce EMI type noise, you will generally find something like this: Outlet -- MOV -- Inductor -- MOV -- Outlet -- MOV -- Inductor -- MOV -- Switch -- Breaker -- Power Cord That would be a two outlet unit, and the outlet furtherest from the power cord would have better supression than the one closest to the power cord. This is pretty normal, some of the TripLight strips I have even even list that each stage has increased supression. I am not sure what is in Unc's box, but $150 for a two outlet supression box with a GFCI is for sure making a nice bit of extra change for him. To increase the surge handling, I am sure all he does is take and parallel multiple MOV's in the box, which have gotten damn cheap now days. Heck he should have just used an internal GFCI outlet instead of making it external. To AG, as to which order is better, sure many could come up with a reason why this order is better than that order, and arguments could be made on both sides of the coin on the issue, like. If you take and put the surge strip before the GFCI, then that surge strip could protect the electronics in the GFCI outlet, granted they are pretty tough overall. On the other hand, putting the GFCI before the surge strip, could detect any leaking electricity inside the strip as well, so a lot of that would be personal prefrences. In homes, most GFCI's are just built into the wall, so in reality they are normally first just by default. In an add-on extention cord like you would take to do a demo, it could be wired up either way, and should work perfectly fine. With most wand usage, you have a bakelite housing that is a good insulator, and if your using electrodes with a spark gap (ie the glass tubes, or a solid with a gap) you should in general be safe from any dangerous ground loops anyway. If you do anything where your using an ungapped electrode, then for sure you need to be more cautious, as it would be very possible to create a conductive path for the raw A/C line voltage. As one who has been bitten a few times by line voltage over the years, I am here to tell you it's no joy, or I didn't think so.. -CD
HaloInverse [50] Novitiate     15 posts Location: Saskatoon Canada Occupation: Freelance/Student Age: 36	2006-11-13 09:36 GMT-5 hours - #4823
	(slap forehead) Inductors. Those were the bits that suppressed the EMI, more so than the MOVs. Now I remember. Thank you. I seem to remember something about MOVs/inductors being connected between the individual pins of each outlet, providing clamping of voltages between hot-ground, hot-neutral, and neutral-ground - am I off on this? I just use a single outlet surge suppressor, rather than a strip, since I'm (currently) only plugging in one VW at a time. Maybe one of these days I'll open the thing and see what components it actually uses - couldn't seem to find circuit diagrams on the Belkin site. I use the sequence I do because (A) I couldn't find compelling significant evidence one way or the other, and (B) plugging things in the other way would require either a very short extension cord or a rebuild/modification of the GFCI box. Given Cyberdude's comments, and looking back over the (available) specs (and geometry) of my equipment, I think I'll continue with my current plug-in order - the GFCI seems more robust than the suppressor. Given the anecdotal evidence I've picked up(1), and responses here, maybe there should be some brief mention of surge suppressors added to the VW Safety Basics FAQ? Maybe fried electronics aren't as common as I suspect, but maybe so... Regardless of the order of the GFCI/suppressor, I agree with AuburnGoddess about putting foot pedal(s) between the wand and the GFCI/suppressor - though now I'm thinking about adding suppression to the pedal itself (either internally or a few inches "downstream" of the pedal, to reduce unintentional (but probably harmless) foot-zaps... (My current gear: 1159-safety gear.jpg) (1) Online/offline comments about reset/fried computers from a few others, plus the "unfortunate incident" mentioned above: An "imported" "highly respected" pro-Dom performing at a local club I frequented tried to use a VW on me, and managed to fry/reset the club's sound system three times before being asked to stop. I had to wait for years before finally purchasing my own...

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jobags [82] Treasurer     405 posts http://www.electrocanes.com Location: New Jersey United States Occupation: Wizard of the Wand Age: 53	2006-11-09 09:57 GMT-5 hours - #4714
	I found this posted in the journals, but it should have been posted here for a reply or discussion... I woulld like to post a general question regarding the recommed procedure or hazards of the following scenario. I have read in posting here that using the reverse technique and performing oral sex on one's partner (I have tried performing oral sex on myself with no success lol), are dental implants a limiting factor? I have several, al of which are metal and I am wondering about conductivity and whether I have to be mindful of creating a shocking experience for myself and maybe less of one for my partner. Thank you all in advance for your input. SmMstr. This is from personal experience and may vary from anothers findings since dental records are unique to ourselves. Using an 'Indirect' technique with oral sex, I am passing the charge from myself to anothers body parts. Using a 'Reverse' technique & oral sex, I am drawing the charge out of their body to mine. I have always found that I do get more of a shock myself when using Reverse techniques rather then Indirect and this is just magnified even more when the soft tissue lips or tongue are concerned. I do not have dental implants per se, however, I do have a few root canals with metal posts and a few of the older metal fillings and I dont feel any different conductivity issues using either Indirect or Reverse techniques. As an experiment on myself awhile ago, (for future BDSM usage), I stood in front of a large mirror, I had a slim electrode and the power setting on VERY low, lol...I zapped all around the inside of my mouth to see what happens...Obviouslly it didnt kill me, I`m still here...Yes, there were many spots in my mouth that were very tender and therefore more intense, however, I still didnt feel anything different over any cap or filling, but again, I had the power turned VERY LOW...(afterall, I am a sadist not a masochist) Again, I do notice a more intense shock on myself using Reverse vs Indirect techniques.     This post was edited by jobags (2006-11-09 10:04 GMT-5 hours, --- ago)   I Love the smell of Ozone in the morning...JB-06`   Ill take Two of Everything   `FuckZapped`
Sir_Mark [75] Journeyman of Mark     663 posts Location: Wichita, KS United States Occupation: Wand God in Training Age: 55	2006-11-09 11:20 GMT-5 hours - #4728
	Ahh, okay I would have thought the metal might have provided a more intense sensation, even 'drawn' the spark. Didn't we discuss this in another thread a while ago? Oh, well. When someone tries it M/F or F/M maybe we can get an after action report.     I find the whole thing Shocking! Just SHOCKING!!! Truuusst Me... The Guild says I know how to do this. You want me to do WHAT?! With HOW many volts?!?
jobags [82] Treasurer     405 posts http://www.electrocanes.com Location: New Jersey United States Occupation: Wizard of the Wand Age: 53	2006-11-09 11:53 GMT-5 hours - #4732
	Quote Sir_Mark : When someone tries it M/F or F/M maybe we can get an after action report. Maybe I wasnt specific enough Mark, I have done the oral thang quite a few times personally...I still never felt any difference between sections of my mouth with or without caps or fillings...The only difference I do notice is that using the Reverse technique is more intense (on my end) then using Indirect...       I Love the smell of Ozone in the morning...JB-06`   Ill take Two of Everything   `FuckZapped`
Sir_Mark [75] Journeyman of Mark     663 posts Location: Wichita, KS United States Occupation: Wand God in Training Age: 55	2006-11-09 14:08 GMT-5 hours - #4739
	Ah, okay and have you also been the one gone down on? Did they notice any difference? Wand turned up a ways whether your mouth or hers?     I find the whole thing Shocking! Just SHOCKING!!! Truuusst Me... The Guild says I know how to do this. You want me to do WHAT?! With HOW many volts?!?
jobags [82] Treasurer     405 posts http://www.electrocanes.com Location: New Jersey United States Occupation: Wizard of the Wand Age: 53	2006-11-12 11:06 GMT-5 hours - #4805
	Quote Sir_Mark : Ah, okay and have you also been the one gone down on? Did they notice any difference? Wand turned up a ways whether your mouth or hers? Obviouslly with the wand turned up the intensity level is much stronger, but with regards to oral sex in general, its the lips and tongue of the male or female that feel the majority of the sparks...(On a personal note, this is one technique or play type that I do prefer a much milder sensation...lol)       I Love the smell of Ozone in the morning...JB-06`   Ill take Two of Everything   `FuckZapped`
MS [70] Journeyman     254 posts Location: Chillicothe, Ohio United States Occupation: BDSM Age: 39	2006-11-12 12:47 GMT-5 hours - #4812	Report
	I know when I use My tongue ring during indirect app. I can give off a spark on the breasts or nipples. I would think it would be the same for oral sex as well.       Lighting people on fire with the wand is so much fun! :D 99% of BDSM can be done with a violet wand! What you want it turned up higher.. Ok!!
PinkElectra [70] Journeyman     224 posts Location: Greensboro, North Carolina Iceland Occupation: Valkyrie Age: 27	2006-11-12 16:50 GMT-5 hours - #4815
	MS I have a tounge ring and lip ring and was wondering about this myself. Do you find your self getting extra shock with your tounge ring? To yourself or the person the ring is touching, or both actually? Have you ever taken out the tounge ring and see if there is a difference?     Lovisa Existence Is War. Enlightenment Is Honor. Adaptability Is Strength. The Supernal Is The Self. Service Is Mastery. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MS [70] Journeyman     254 posts Location: Chillicothe, Ohio United States Occupation: BDSM Age: 39	2006-11-12 19:21 GMT-5 hours - #4817	Report
	When I use just the tongue ring the other person is the one that gets zapped. If I use just My tongue I feel the zap as well..       Lighting people on fire with the wand is so much fun! :D 99% of BDSM can be done with a violet wand! What you want it turned up higher.. Ok!!
pinithard [50] Novitiate       14 posts Location: San Antonio, TX United States Occupation: Computers Age: 52	2007-05-04 16:14 GMT-5 hours - #6030
	Interesting; whether the sub or dom, is performing oral sex, it sounds like, the intensity of feelings during oral stimulation is differentiated by appliances adorned by either party. In other words, if I have a stud in my tongue, the stud conducts electricity better than just the tongue, and if there is a piercing on my lady, she will feel enhanced stimulation, as apposed to no metal adornments.     I may appear unoccupied, however, at the molecular level, I am quite busy.
Voobwig [77] Vice President     668 posts Location: Washington United States Occupation: Systems Engineer Age: 39	2007-07-02 11:48 GMT-5 hours - #6486
	Careful with the piercings, to much arcing causes heat and heat causes burns where you can't see them and don't want them...     I have 50,000 ways of making you scream...and I shall use them all.

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Radio Shack and the 3.15 Amp Test

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'Skin Effect': It doesn't apply in Violet Wands

by Uncle Abdul

There is a belief among some electric play users of Violet Wands that they are safe, i.e., no currents go through the heart, because of "Skin Effect." By this phenomenon, it is reasoned, the currents from the Violet Wand arcing to the skin will travel only on the surface of the body's skin and not in the body interior. Thus, it is argued, no currents can go through the heart. In this way it is felt that Violet Wands are therefore intrinsically safe and can therefore be used for electric play above the waist.

Because of the reliance of players in their belief of this line of reasoning thinking they're totally safe in that no currents will ever go through the heart it is best that the phenomenon known as "Skin Effect" should be further explained.

JUST WHAT IS 'SKIN EFFECT'

Skin Effect is indeed an electrical phenomenon. In fact electric power companies use it as an important factor in designing power transmission lines. Because of Skin Effect they can use hollow electric power transmission conductors because the currents will tend to stay on the outside of such conductors.

"Ah-ha," you say, "So the same must be true in or 'on' the body." Well, not quite. The "Skin Effect" that electric companies depend on is really a magnetic effect. Let's take a look at what that means.

You've probably heard or know that a moving current in a conductor will produce magnetism. If you don't know this, take a moment to perform the following experiment. Open the hood of your car. Find the battery, and look for the main battery cable that goes to the all the circuits in the car. Now turn on the car's headlights. Then going back to that battery cable place a small, cheap, magnetic compass next to the cable. What do you notice? You'll most likely will notice that the needle of the compass will align itself parallel to the cable. Magic? No, just magnetism caused by the current running through the battery cable. Not convinced? Turn off the headlights (and all other electrical devices in the car) and do the compass test again. The compass needle will point in a different direction (unless the battery cable lies parallel to the magnetic north-south line of the earth). This is exactly the same thing Hans Oerstad the Danish physicist and chemist (1771-1851) discovered nearly 200 years ago.

Michael Faraday (1791-1867), English scientist, discovered shortly after that if you move a wire through a magnetic field, a current will be produced running through the wire. Coils of wire spinning in a magnetic field are what make your car's generator generate electricity. It's also why the telephone magneto play toy works.

Along comes a third scientist, Lenz, who combined the discoveries of the other two and came up with his own law. In it he said that as a current moves through a conductor it produces a magnetic field (Oerstad's Law, right? Right.). If that field changes because the current changes—like in alternating current (or AC) that comes from the power company to your house—its the same as if the conductor were moving in a magnetic field (enter Faraday, stage left). This should produce another current, right? Right.

Now it works out that this second current that is produced runs in the opposite direction of the first. But the first current is the one that produces the second one right? Ri-i-ight. (Actually it's a changing first current—AC—that will produce the second which will always run in the opposite direction. We say this second current opposes the first one.

What this looks like to somebody studying the currents in the conductor is that somehow the resistance (opposition to current flow) somehow got larger. But this only works with AC currents. The DC (Direct Current) resistance of the conductor is still the same for both DC and AC currents. What we're really seeing is the phenomenon of 'Self Inductance,' which is something you only see with AC currents running through a conductor.

So why is this important? Well for one Lenz's Law is what makes electric meters for your house work. It's also the reason why transformer cores are made with laminated sheets instead of a solid metal piece. And finally power transmission line engineers go orgasmic at it because now they can use hollow conductors on their power lines thereby saving weight, cost of material, etc. Yeah Lenz!

Lets take a closer look at this last point.

If you look at a cross section of a conductor carrying an AC current, each current element—electrons in this case—as it moves generates a magnetic field. Now magnetic fields of the same polarity (north or south) will tend to repel each other. (Try this by seeing how hard it is to force the north poles of two magnets together.) Because of this the electrons will tend to move themselves apart. Now when you combine this with what we know about Lenz's Law, we can see that the currents will stay towards the outside of the conductor. Atta boy Lenz!

Now remember, this only works for AC currents, and to be meaningful we have to talk about conductors that are about 1-1/4-inches or more in diameter at power line frequencies of 50 - 60Hz. Ordinary house wiring of about 1/8-inch in diameter are hardly affected.

WE SPEAK NOW OF KINGS AND VIOLET WANDS AND OTHER THINGS

So let's go to the 'heart' of the matter. Is "Skin Effect" a factor in Violet Wands? Does the current arcing onto someone's skin stay only on the surface of the skin?

Well, let's see. The Violet Wand uses AC electricity, right? Right. The body is a conductor, right? Well, kind of. Current will pass through a body like a conductor, but there's such a high resistance (50,000 to 1,000,000 ohms for dry, unbroken skin) that it's more like an insulator—unless you're hit with high voltage like lightning or with an electric chair which is what you might get to sit in if you don't understand electrical play.

Now "Skin Effect" used for power transmission lines depends on really high AC currents (10's of amps) to produce enough magnetic effect in order for the "Skin Effect" to do it's thing. The currents in a Violet Wand are really low. Yes, they do produce a magnetic field that does constantly change, but these magnetic fields are so weak they're going to have little if any "Skin Effect" effects.

HAH! I GOT YOU UNC' BECAUSE THE VIOLET WAND IS A HIGH VOLTAGE DEVICE, IT'LL WORK LIKE ELECTROSTATIC CHARGES THAT STAY ON THE SURFACE OF A BODY. I REMEMBER THAT FROM HIGH SCHOOL PHYSICS.

Kudos on you memory, but do you want to stake your life on that? Actually you can't have it both ways. You either have to say that there are actually currents coming from a Violet Wand or that it only produces electrostatic charges (excess or deficiency of electrons). Now I've already shown in "Juice-Electricity for Pleasure or Pain" that a Violet Wand does produce small AC currents that do run through the arc and through the body (see Chapter 8). Actually this surface charge idea is probably what people have in mind when they speak of "Skin Effect," but you're probably convinced by now that's not so. And because we know the Violet Wand produces AC currents, thus the surface electrostatic charge idea goes the way of the great auk. Next.

AHH! BUT THE VIOLET WAND IS A HIGH FREQUENCY DEVICE—ALMOST RF. IN HIGH FREQUENCIES DON'T THEY USE HOLLOW CONDUCTORS FOR THAT? WOULD IT WORK THE SAME IN A BODY?

In really high frequencies like microwaves (500-5000 mega Hz) used in Radar and microwave ovens, yes they do use what are called wave guides which are very much like hollow conductors. In fact many of them are just plastic tubes coated with a thin gold plating. And you don't even need to go that far. For some of you that still use rabbit ear TV antennas, the cable that connects that to your TV is what is called 'twin lead.' The two conductors are held apart some specific distance because that's the only way the TV signal currents (at 80-110 mega Hz) can flow. Radio amatures still may use a larger type of the same thing for some radio transmitters (at 1-400 mega HZ). If you tried to substitute say a lamp cord for twin lead on a TV, the signal would never get through.

Why does this work? Oh boy! That really gets complicated very fast and is difficult to come up with a layman's explanation. The math really gets hairy too. It has to deal with a fourth scientist, a Scot, James Maxwell (1831-1879), who discovered a whole series of electrical laws in 1873 called oddly enough Maxwell's Equations. Actually he lumped Oerstad's and Faraday's and several other laws together into a nice, elegant set of mathematical equations that relate electrostatic and magnetic fields—or oddly enough called electromagnetism—together. If you want to delve into them there are many excellent references to look into. The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) does a nice job on this. Be prepared to wade through some math though.

In short, using Maxwell's Equations you can show that for very high frequencies like radio and microwaves, the electrostatic portion (and hence current) of an electromagnetic wave tends to 'stay' on the outer portion of the wave. Thus the currents will stay on the surface of the wave guide or on the outer conductors of a twin lead. (In fact designing 'wiring' for microwaves is more a machinist's and a plumber's job than it is an electrical technician's job.)

So, does a Violet Wand qualify? Can a human body work like a wave guide and have the currents stay only on the surface of the skin and not run through the heart?

Well, the Violet Wand does use a Tesla coil and a vibrator to generate the high voltages, and there are some high frequencies present. The only trouble is that the 'fundamental' or base frequency of the unit is still 60 Hz—household power line frequency. By the time you get out to the 1 mega Hz component of the Violet Wand, it is probably so much "in the mud" (as we say) that the wave guide effect damn near vanishes.

Now the human body is more like a wave guide turned inside out. You have an insulator—skin—on the outside and the conductor—oopy goopy stuff—on the inside. Sorry, that makes an anti-wave guide rather than a wave guide. Besides, a wave guide needs constant geometry to work. Remember the twin lead TV wire? Human bodies are ...well... wonderfully curvy—great for play, but lousy for waveguides.

DON'T THROW IN THE TOWEL. VIOLET WANDS CAN STILL BE USED FOR PLAY.

In the book Juice I spend a lot of time talking about a Violet Wand. You just need to realize that it does depend on running a current through the body in order to work. What you have, however, are several factors working to save you arse—or more specifically your heart.

For one you have a whole series of high resistance working in your favor. There's the resistance of the gas inside the tube. There's the resistance offered by the glass of the tube. There's the resistance present in the spark. And finally there's the resistance of the skin—yeah skin! So even though you're working with high voltages, all of those high resistance really work to keep the currents going through you very, very low.

So here you have the situation once again of currents going through the heart—just like in TENS Unit. The question is, "How much, and is it dangerous?" And that gentle reader is what you must understand when you play with any electrical play toy. You need all the information—in Physics in Physiology and in Psychology—to assess the risk and to make informed, intelligent choices around those risks. It's really up to you and your partner. To do otherwise or to depend on "old electrical wives' tales" is quite literally "whistling in a graveyard."

Play SAFE through UNDERSTANDING.

Uncle Abdul
Khabarovsk, Russia - 1998

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Violet wands and static electricity

Original Author : Roughtrader / Date : 2005-12-17 00:34


If you want to get an argument going, start talking about violet wands and static electricity or current electricity. You'll soon find a line drawn down the center and two opposing groups forming; those who say violet wands produce static electricity, and those that say they do not.

Certainly, the sparks coming off the glass FEEL like static..it doesn't feel like A/C current, that's for sure. And occasionally you'll build up a positive or a negative charge and the hair will either stand up on your arms or the glass of the electrode stick to you.

But static electricity doesn't 'flow', does it? Does vw electricity 'flow' in the same way?

Well, it helps to understand what people might mean by the terms 'static' and 'current' electricity.

STATIC ELECTRICITY:
Electrical happenings which involve HIGH VOLTAGE at low current.

CURRENT ELECTRICITY:
Electrical happenings which involve HIGH CURRENT at low voltage.

Under those very simple definitions, yes, a violet wand could be said to produce static electricity. A violet wand has very low current. However, when people normally talk about static electricity, they mean much much lower current than a violet wand's net charge.

Read this guy's URL; he describes additional definitions in some very simple terms:

What is static electricity? What is current electricity?

Now that you've read it, you can begin to get the idea that electricity doesn't really move. Even the electrons themselves don't move, but the charge along them does.

Yes, the violet wand charge DOES exhibit some properties of certain definitions of static electricity, and it does exhibit some properties of certain definitions of current electricity. So why do we have to separate the two?

These definitions makes it possible to say that the spark arcing from glass to skin is an electrostatic event. A violet wand has very LITTLE current, (less than a milli-amp) so that it is ALMOST able to be classified as the unenlightened traditionally call 'static' electricity.

Now read this article because this explains it better than I ever could...

Electricity map

You'll note a violet wand output of less than a milli-amp and 50,000 volts is a bit 'north' of the same neighborhood as a Van de Graaf, traditionally known as a 'static electricity' producing device. When you're talking static electricity, USUALLY you're talking about micro-amps. Which is well below violet wand current.

But, really...its all electricity. When you are talking about something in-between the two ranges of electromagnetic events (static and current electricity) as a violet wand, the lines become a little blurred...and sometimes difficult to make a sound argument for either. Besides, there is really no such thing as static (no current) electricity. Static means stationary. There's no such thing. There is just very very low current, and sometimes such a low current that it becomes im-balanced where opposing charges build up. If you had NO current at all, you'd have no electrical event to talk about!

The best thing to do is to talk about violet wand output as seamlessly as Mr. William Beatty, the author of these web pages linked here, and call it all Electromagnetism. Rather than saying that violet wands produce 'this' or they produce 'that,' call it by its overall and broader name [and confuse everyone in the process.]

You are the enlightened. Violet wands produce electromagnetic energy.

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Things I have discovered using the different electrodes with my wand:

Getting too close to the business end of the wand will give you larger streamers that really bite !!!
I have experimented using a setting of what I would say is a three. This would be from the wand not buzzing to its maximum setting.

Placing the mushroom on the surface gives a warm fuzzy feeling and maintaining a gap from the surface will increase the sensations until it starts to bite and then finally breaks contact past a certain point. Using the edge of the mushroom has a more intense effect. I have two mushrooms, the smaller one that glows red, seems to be a lot milder in the effect then the larger mushroom using the same setting of three.

The slim probe is great for covering large flat surfaces at once. The coiled slim probe is more intense since the wire runs all the way to the end of the electrode.

The straight rake works great in that the flow is pretty much even throughout all of the rakes. I often use just the end rake for more precise control in an area. Sometimes if the gap is just right, you can get streamers from two end rakes bombarding the same spot at once.

I have since added two light bulbs to my collection with great results. I purchased these from Lowes. One is a neon flicker bulb with a standard base that has a perfectly round ball on its tip. (Had to go through a few to find this) The other is a bulb simiiar in design to the flicker only bigger and has a gas flame effect. It is colored burnt orange has a standard base and also has a round ball at its tip.
 

The neon flicker bulb has a great intensity !!! Of all of my electrodes, this baby will burn and bite like a torch. I have had to turn the wand down to a setting of about one. The first time I tried it at a setting of three, I had a good "sunburn" for two days on my skin. The gas flame bulb is a lot milder in intensity and I had to turn up the wand to about a five to get a decent effect. The main reason I added these two bulbs to my collection was to have more precise control in a small area without branding and they work fine for my purposes. The neon is hot for burning and the flame bulb is milder for light touch ups.

I have had fantastic and miraculous results so far in treating certain skin conditions I had.

The lightning rod is pretty cool in the way it lights up when grounding it out on something.

I have a hotshot electrode for later experimentation I'll use in painting with powder substances on copper plates. I saw an article on this somewhere and it looked like a fun thing to tryout.

I have an energy roller which I haven't used for anything yet. It just looked like something to have in my collection.
 

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