Oct 10, 2026, 6:27 PMMercury Arc Rectifier from #gaussfest
- Oct 10, 2026, 6:27 PM
Replies
Giles of the Junglegilester45@twit.socialOct 11, 2026, 7:27 AM@Akki Oh my, I adore these things! Never seen one in person but was fascinated when I first read about them on an urbex post years ago.
- Oct 11, 2026, 7:32 AM
@gilester45 Kew Museum of Water and Steam, permanent collection there but not sure when the volunteer who operates is usually there to show it off. https://waterandsteam.org.uk/ Gaussfest is only once a year but I think the Volunteer (Ben I think?) is vaguely local so probably other times of the year.
- Oct 11, 2026, 7:35 AM
@gilester45 It was operating under less load last year so not quite as bright as this year.
- Giles of the Junglegilester45@twit.socialOct 11, 2026, 7:50 AM
@Akki I think they're so beautiful. The glass, the eerie blue glow, the octopus like appearance.. do they make noise?
- Oct 11, 2026, 8:09 AM
@gilester45 Only a tiny bit, I think. I think there is a little hum and clunks when switching between things.
It's a quite noisy day and the room next to it is where the smaller, but still loud, musical tesla coils are during gaussfest.
Also re: taskmaster - it's the same room where they had to do the lying task when clocking in for work. Just the opposite end of the small room.
- Giles of the Junglegilester45@twit.socialOct 11, 2026, 7:42 AM
@Akki Thanks for the info! I hadn't realised the Kew Museum of Water and Steam is separate to the Kempton Steam Museum (that one's on the to-visit list on accounts of the Titanic engine) so now there's two steam museums to visit!
And.. OH! Kew Museum is where the current Taskmaster series was filmed. Well well. I definitely need to get there, it looks brilliant.
- Oct 11, 2026, 8:07 AM
@gilester45 Ah I didn't know that about Kempton! I just saw that Christmas/New Year they have special days where you ride vintage buses between Kempton and Kew.
Floating OnionFloatingOnion@cyberplace.socialOct 11, 2026, 4:56 PM@Akki @gilester45 Thanks for spotting that. Likely here over Christmas.
- Floating OnionFloatingOnion@cyberplace.socialOct 11, 2026, 4:56 PM
@gilester45 @Akki It’s a nice little museum and quite fun seeing the Taskmaster filming locations. Need to go back when they have a day with more running.
Oct 11, 2026, 8:08 AM@Akki Who doesn’t enjoy a nice UVC tan!
- Oct 11, 2026, 8:45 AM
@jaseg Part of me kinda hopes a bit is blocked by the perspex front cover. And the other part of me says it wasn't on for very long. and my glasses themselves have some sort of UV block filter too. 🫣
- Oct 11, 2026, 8:48 AM
@Akki I think if the rectifier made from normal glass the glass should block all of it. AFAIK UVC fluorescent tubes are made from quartz glass to let out the UVC.
