15" first light. WAS: win tesla vs. JHCTES

To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: 15" first light. WAS: win tesla vs. JHCTES
From: jim.fosse-at-bjt-dot-net (Jim Fosse) (by way of Terry Fritz <terryf-at-verinet-dot-com>)
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1998 07:03:23 -0600
Approved: terryf-at-verinet-dot-com

On Mon, 14 Sep 1998 17:08:21 -0600, Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>, you
wrote:


> >are 15" sparks impressive for a 60 mA tesla coil? I know there are alot of
> >things i could work on to make this coil better, including a RQ gap
possibly
> >(right now i am using a single static gap)....   Does anyone know the
record
> >spark length for 60 mA???
> > >>
>
>Cabbott, all,
>
>Regarding the 60ma NST, this often causes great confusion because
>a 60ma NST can deliver a lot more than 60ma, if a resonant charging
>sized capacitor is used.  So if someone says they got let's say a 60"
>spark from a 60ma NST, they may actually be drawing 120ma or even 
>more from the transformer.  This helps to explain their results.  The 
>60ma should be thought of as transformer rating only, rather than an
>actual amount of current draw.
>
>Bottom line, the record for a 60ma NST, and the record for a true 60ma
>current draw (from a 60ma NST), would be very different animals.
>
>John Freau

Chabbot,

	Great first light. I could only get 2" sparks the first time I
tried. Then I tuned, retried, rebuilt (using info from THIS list) and
uped my sparks to 24". I then had to move outside because I was
hitting my garage ceiling. Another cap, another secondary..... more
learning, more tuning - 36 inch arcs. Another sequence of listen,
learn, rebuild, tune - 50" arcs to a grounded electrode with a "60mA"
neon. John F. beats this by a mite;) I've not figured out what my
output current of my neon is at this level. (no 15kV isolated
milliampere meters handy;) This 2" to 50" increase has been over a 3
year period of learning the ART of arcs.

	Your best bet right now is: change the single gap to a
multiple gap system, retune, then work on your caps. IIRC you are
using salt water caps?? Some polyethylene caps will do wonders for
your spark length.


	cheers,

	jim f