🚀 go-pugleaf

>I'm looking to acquire a "ringer" magneto (the kind of hand-cranked AC
>generator once employed to generate the ringing voltage on field 
>phones...
>
>Oh, by the way, the reason I want one is to make a worm gathering aid.

Fair Radio Sales in Lima, Ohio might have some telephone generators.  
Army field phones were very common at hamfests (usually about $12 
each) until about 8 years ago.  Maybe they all went to El Salvador or 
the paramilitary/survivalist freaks snarfed them all up.  Anymore, 
they're hard to find and the ones available are ridiculously 
expensive.

I never tried to use a hand-generator to make earthworms come to the 
surface, but it would probably take a LOT of cranking.  I've done it 
by sticking two 1/4" rods into the ground, about 3' apart, connected 
to 115VAC, and that works very well indeed (works on crawdads too)!  
Yes, one side of the 115 is already grounded, but you need two probes 
to get an intense field between.

I've also seen old dynamotors used for fishing:  Connect one side of 
the high voltage to metal boat, other side through insulated wire to 
end of long pole in water, 10' or more from boat.  Stunned fish float 
to surface and you dip them up with a net.  Electric fishing is 
considered poaching, and is ILLEGAL (but it's quieter than dynamite)!
--

Frank     W9MKV
reid@gold.bacs.indiana.edu