Following a tip from this forum, I went to a web site at http://www.silvergen.com And from there selected the "technical" option on the list of choices. They say their unit is better than battery types because theirs regulates the voltage during the process. I would certainly appreciate it if someone with knowledge in this area would read their "Technical" page and let me know if what they are saying sounds reasonable? TIA!!!

-- jeanne (jeanne@hurry.now), September 26, 1999

Answers

I might mention that I did go to the other web site that was referred to in the other thread - but their generator used the battery set-up. This other one supposedly controls the particle size(making sure it is in suspension) by controlling the voltage. The fact that it is AC is not that important since we have alternate source of electricity with SW inverter.

-- jeanne (jeanne@hurry.now), September 26, 1999.

Two years ago I bought a unit from www.silversolutions.com

It is the best $79 I have spent! It is a battery unit, which is what you will need during Y2K. We travel a lot in our Motorhome and take it with us all the time!

-- freddie (freddie@thefreeloader.com), September 27, 1999.

Thanks Freddie! I am considering the battery set-up like you purchased. But, I'm hoping someone with some technical knowledge about this process will go to that web site and tell me what they think about those claims,i.e. being able to insure proper particle size and suspension by regulating the voltage during the process.

-- jeanne (jeanne@hurry.now), September 28, 1999.

Silvergen has a constant current colloidal silver maker that works off either AC house current or batteries (model SG4B for $119).

I purchased this unit and have made about ten batches of colloidal silver following the simple instructions that come with the unit. The instructions claim that the unit will make 3 ppm to 4 ppm per hour. After four hours of use my batches all measured between 10 ppm to 14 ppm. I have a ppm meter that is calibrated to measure colloidal silver. The solution was a pale to light yellow and did not have a metallic taste (however, I am not a gourmet and my taste buds are not that sensitive).

I stored the colloidal silver in sterilized empty brown root-beer bottles with the twist off caps. I should mention that I have three different colloidal silver makers and the unit by Silvergen is the best of the three.

I do not have a method for testing for particle size but the ppm is close enough for me. After letting the solution rest for four weeks, there was no precipitation of solids in the bottom of the root-beer bottle which should have occured if the particle size was too big.

This is not the scientific evidence that you are requesting but perhaps it will be of some use to you.

-- techie (techie@tech.sch), September 28, 1999.

Thanks Techie!!! Tell me, where did you get your ppm meter? How does it work? What did it cost?? I'm supposing that anyone that makes colloidial silver should have something to measure the strength just to see if they are doing it right. Do you make a gallon at a time? What is the shelf life?? How many "threads of silver" should you stockpile? Do you drink the stuff, or just use it topically? Sounds to me like it would help prevent gum disease if a person gargled with it regularly. I truly appreciate answers on this subject - this is one of my last important prep items to get done - other than another 1,100 gallon propane tank.

-- jeanne (jeanne@hurry.now), September 28, 1999.

to jeanne, from techie:

I will do my best to answer your questions.

You can purchase a meter to measure the ppm of your solution from the following company off the internet. The meter is called a TDS-1 and sells for $29.00 and it is very accurate. When I measure my ozonated steam distilled water prior to making colloidal silver, it usually reads between 0 and 1 ppm (fluctuates back and forth) which indicates that my water is very pure. The following company specifically calibrates their meters for colloidal silver before they ship them to you.

http://www.utopiasilver.com

To use the above meter you simply put the bottom 1 inch of the meter into the solution and look at the digital readout. You start with a reading before you make any silver and another reading when you think you are finished. You subtract the starting value from the finishing value and that yields the increase in silver in your solution.

The collodial silver generator from Silvergen recommends making 16 ounces of silver solution at a time in a sterile glass jar. I followed their instructions and I use an empty, sterile clear 16 ounce jar that originally contained store bought pickle relish.

One of the other major advantages of the Silvergen unit is that they use silver strips about 1/4 wide to make colloidal silver as opposed to the very thin wire used by other companies. The extra surface area really reduces the time needed to make a potent batch of silver. It is also much easier to clean the surface of the strip after each batch with a small piece of metal scrubber than it is to try to clean a thin piece of wire. And by keeping the current constant, you don't strip off big particles of silver from the electrodes. However, some residue from one of the electrodes does collect in the bottom of the glass jar but it is easily filtered out by following the instructions and pouring the finished solution through a standard coffee filter. The coffee filter traps that residue but the microscopic silver particles pass right through. I know because I test my solution again after I have filtered it.

The shelf life question has not been conclusively answered, as far as I know. Most sources recommend making only as much colloidal silver as you think you will use in two or three months. However, I have read reports of people who have tested their silver solutions after a year in storage and the solution was still potent. I personally don't know the answer to this question.

The reason I am making so much colloidal silver solution now is because electrical power is available and cheap, a gallon of steam distilled water only costs 79 cents, and the 1/4 wide electrodes do not reduce in size as far as I can visually detect after making 16 ounces of solution. I am making the extra colloidal silver solution because there is a very small chance I may need a lot of it in the near future (biological or chemical warfare). I don't want to have to wait on it to be made if everyone in my family needs a lot of it on very short notice.

How much to take? There are no agreed upon recommendations. I personally take 1 tablespoon of 10 ppm each day. I hold the solution in my mouth for about 1 minute and then swallow it. I do this for one week and then I skip a week. I do not wish to have the silver buildup in my body. I have not been sick in a long time.

As you probably know if you have researched this topic on the internet, traces of silver were once present in our soil and our forefathers ingested that silver when they ate their crops. However, with the widespread use of commercial fertilizers on the same ground year after year, we no longer get any trace silver in our foods. And silver has been conveniently omitted from the list of minerals that should be in a good vitamin and mineral supplement. There is no silver added to our breakfast cereals. Lots of zinc and iron, but no silver. If I were a certain type of person, I might think there were some type of conspiracy at work here to keep a vital mineral out of our diets so we would be more prone to a variety of diseases.

How can you use silver? Anyway you want. I have read cases of people using it to treat serious burns, tooth extractions, hemmoriods, yeast infections, sinus problems, ear aches, pink eye, and internal infections and viruses. In other words, you can use it as an enema or douche, spray it up your nose, put it in your ear, drop it in your eyes, dab it on your skin, hold it in your mouth, or swallow it.

What will it cure? I don't know. But if common people like you and I can be believed, then there is nothing it hasn't been used to cure and it has no side effects nor any interactions with any known drugs or medicines.

Good luck.

-- techie (techie@tech.sch), September 29, 1999.