{Disclaimer: in theory these should already exist. If a link to an actual product can be found it is primed-for-deletion}
Small plasma globes are Baked and WKTE. They function in any orientation so inverting them presents no technical problem.
BorgCo therefore propose a set of Christmas tree lights each element of which is a 75mm plasma ball. They will need to be suspended clear of the tree or contact with other items otherwise the streamers will focus on that point of contact.
To assist in assembly - since the globes are thin, and fragile - the power cable and suspension points are wound around the tree first, then the globes are attached. There is a step-down power supply unit and the cable on the tree only carries 12v (small globes can run off a USB port)
The effect should be .... interesting.-- 8th of 7, Dec 05 2019 One point to bear in mind: if they _do_ touch the tree (or tinsel), not only will the streames be focussed on that point, but it will also get hot. I suspect that tinsel brushing gently against the plasma ball would get hot enough to melt.
I would bun this, but fools rush in where angels fear to bread.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Dec 05 2019 // tinsel brushing gently against the plasma ball would get hot enough to melt. //
Ahahaha ! Hahahahaha ! HAHAHAHAHAA<coughing/>
So, well, yes. Ahem. And your point is ?
You're not one of those pesky product-liability lawyers are you ? We like them. Their screams when the Wicker Man thery're in starts to burn are exquisite...-- 8th of 7, Dec 05 2019 I didn't say it was a bad thing, merely that it was likely to happen.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Dec 05 2019 There are plasma "balls" of other shapes available. So why not have a hollow glass "tree" filled with whatever gas gives a predominantly green discharge, and have the whole thing plamsa-fied?-- neutrinos_shadow, Dec 05 2019 Actually, that's the next idea we were going to post; a conical glass enclosure with a tapered core with rings at different voltages to produce the "branches". Argon would give the green colour.-- 8th of 7, Dec 05 2019 Should be possible to make a shaped charge with chemical additives so as to produce an xmas-tree-shaped explosion.-- pocmloc, Dec 05 2019 It is; transient, yet aesthetically delightful.-- 8th of 7, Dec 05 2019 [+] some fine wires - perhaps the bulb could be tinted or half-silvered to hide them, if wanted - and the streams can be more controlled.-- FlyingToaster, Dec 05 2019 Just as long as you don't cross them...-- 8th of 7, Dec 05 2019 .\..../. ..\../.. ...\/... .../\...../..\.. ./....\.-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Dec 06 2019 This is actually doable, and therefore a dreadful HB idea. Having a look at the circuits for the mini plasma balls, they all use a DC supply, or rectify AC, make DC, then chop the DC up? Shirley simpler just to make 1/2 wave AC from mains and then use that? or is Frequency important? I'm likely missing something...
The //tinsel brushing gently against the plasma ball would get hot enough to melt.//
The only way this would be a real problem is if you made all the plasma balls operate off the same HV source, which I suspect would lead to all the current travelling through whichever single point is at the lowest impedance. Even then, tinsel isn't exactly the most robust ground reference. If you have a separate supply for each, the current is minute and lots of the energy lost as light/RF.-- bs0u0155, Dec 06 2019 // This is actually doable, and therefore a dreadful HB idea. //
We agree.
// Having a look at the circuits for the mini plasma balls, they all use a DC supply, or rectify AC, make DC, then chop the DC up? //
We have a couple of units in kit form. Amazingly, one still works.
// Shirley simpler just to make 1/2 wave AC from mains and then use that? //
You can use a C-W multiplier off AC.
// or is Frequency important? //
If you use HF instead of 50/60 Hz, you can get away with tiny low-Q inductors and the ESR of the capacitors doesn't matter.
// I'm likely missing something... //
So we've heard... <Hums "Colonel Bogey" in an ironic way/>
// the current is minute and lots of the energy lost as light/RF //
Don't worry, we're working on that. Metre-long sparks are the target outcome.-- 8th of 7, Dec 06 2019 I wonder how big a Tesla coul I'd need to mess up the neighbor's wifi?-- bs0u0155, Dec 07 2019 Buy some cheap analogue wireless colour CCTV cameras, the type that allow one of four channels to be selected. Fit bigger antennas to improve the SWR. Set them up to cover all four channels, and you'll blanket out all 802.11b/g/n SSIDs for 50-70 m radius.
Of course they may just switch to 802.11a, but most _lusers don't even know the 5GHz band exists, and because the client device can often still "see" the AP transmissions (but can't connect) they blame it on The Little Yellow Pixies...
<Evil chuckling/>
Oh, and by the way, it's not "jamming" - it's perfectly legal and legitimate...-- 8th of 7, Dec 07 2019 random, halfbakery