As I recall the ozone based air cleaner is what put Sharper Image out of business. Even at low level ozone attacked plastics and gizmos such as VCRs were damaged. I think Bob Pease did a bit on it.
In the thirties there were consumer ozone generators sold as health aids. Bring the outdoor air inside! The one I got from my grandfather did work. It was an AC line powered step up transformer with needle points on the output in a real Bakelite case. Of course after it made enough folks sick the popularity declined.
The modern commercial version is often used as a smoke eater in bars where smoking is permitted.
I did try an ionization microphone using a polonium alpha emitter as the ionization source. Way too noisy.
The other use of an alpha emitter is in forced air heating/cooling systems. If you look at the ceiling vents in many systems they are streaked with dirt. That is due to the charge the dirt particles pick up traveling through the duct work attracts them to the ceiling as soon as they exit the vent.
So when you see a dirty vent you know why. Of course when you see a vent that has been in use for some time and is still clean you can wonder why.
In the thirties there were consumer ozone generators sold as health aids. Bring the outdoor air inside! The one I got from my grandfather did work. It was an AC line powered step up transformer with needle points on the output in a real Bakelite case. Of course after it made enough folks sick the popularity declined.
The modern commercial version is often used as a smoke eater in bars where smoking is permitted.
I did try an ionization microphone using a polonium alpha emitter as the ionization source. Way too noisy.
The other use of an alpha emitter is in forced air heating/cooling systems. If you look at the ceiling vents in many systems they are streaked with dirt. That is due to the charge the dirt particles pick up traveling through the duct work attracts them to the ceiling as soon as they exit the vent.
So when you see a dirty vent you know why. Of course when you see a vent that has been in use for some time and is still clean you can wonder why.
Yes, it was all that...
I have to say though, that the sound was pretty magical, as attested by
the critics who heard it.
In the end, they were perfect for outdoor patio except that they did not play
loud enough to compete with outdoor noise.
Would they double as a bug zapper?
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