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Discharging Capacitor
From: D.C. Cox [SMTP:DR.RESONANCE-at-next-wave-dot-net]
Sent: Saturday, February 07, 1998 12:55 PM
To: Tesla List
Subject: Re: Discharging Capacitor
to: Patrick
A simple 28 inch long "hotstick" comprising a conductive stiff copper strap
tip in series with a 100 Ohm 1 KW resistor and connected to ground with a
simple alligator clip works fine. We have used this method for over 20
years without any "shocking" results so far on both large and small coils.
DR.RESONANCE-at-next-wave-dot-net
----------
> From: Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
> To: 'Tesla List' <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
> Subject: Discharging Capacitor
> Date: Saturday, February 07, 1998 12:29 AM
>
>
> ----------
> From: Esondrmn-at-aol-dot-com [SMTP:Esondrmn-at-aol-dot-com]
> Sent: Thursday, February 05, 1998 4:36 PM
> To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Subject: Re: Discharging Capacitor
>
> In a message dated 98-02-04 13:42:44 EST, you write:
>
> << Hello all:
>
> In order to adjust the primary coil after the TC has been running, one
> would prefer to discharge the capacitor(s) to eliminate the chance of
> becoming a human wire. I was wondering how others have accomplished
> this without damaging anything.
>
> I am building a TC for the Physics Dept. here, and I have to add safety
> measures throughout the TC design in order to prevent any accidents from
> happening. You see, the physics instructors will be using the TC for
> demonstrations on magnetic fields, and who knows what instructors might
> do. So I figured I could use a solenoid to throw a contact, which goes
> through high resistance resistors (I have several hollow ceramic
> resistors rated at 100000 Ohms at 200W, generously given to me by the
> Dept.). I could series the resistors to get a current flow in the order
> of milliamps, which would work. But this is just one idea.
>
> Oh, I have also seen boxes of old vacuum tubes in the E&M lab at the
> university, and was wondering what are the most common tubes used in
> Tesla work? (There's about a hundred different tubes just sitting
> there.) I'm sure they would sell them cheap if any are suitable for TC
> work.
>
> Practicing Safe Coiling in Wisconsin
> Patrick Gustafson >>
>
> Patrick,
>
> I am not sure I would want any extra wires connected to the tank circuit
and
> going anywhere else. It will cause off axis inductance losses and
possibly
> corona losses. You will also have a problem keeping the relay or
whatever is
> used from arcing over during coil operation. If your coil only uses one
tank
> capacitor, when you shut down the power, the capacitor will discharge
through
> the primary coil and back to the transformer. The secondary windings of
the
> high voltage transformer will quickly discharge the cap. If you use and
equi-
> drive coil where there is one capacitor in series with each HV lead, then
you
> will need to discharge the caps when moving the tap on the primary - and
> probably every time you shut it off.
>
> Ed Sonderman
>