Re: Ground box

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>" <uncadoc-at-juno-dot-com>



On Mon, 09 Apr 2001 23:01:49 -0600 "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
writes:
> Original poster: "Malcolm Watts by way of Terry Fritz 
> <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>" <m.j.watts-at-massey.ac.nz>
> 
> Hi Ray,
> 
> On 9 Apr 01, at 18:33, Tesla list wrote:
> 
> > Original poster: "Ray Robidoux by way of Terry Fritz
> > <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>" <robidoux-at-basystems-dot-com>
> > 
> > Hi Malcolm, Ray, All,
> > 
Malcolm, I can appreciate your studies, but geez wiz, is this braided vs
solid going to make a significant amount of difference in a working Tesla
coil? I try to strive for all the arc juice I can get!     I know every
absolute small change can help in output, but I would think that we could
get more substantial increases in power simply by improving our spark gap
or the fine tuning of the capacitance in the tank, all other things being
equal in the operation of a coil.  Makes me wonder if a piece of steel
strap with copper coating in a primary would do a better job than a piece
of solid nonferrous cable or silver tinned copper  tube.  After all, from
what I hear the more evolved list members say, that the electrons always
carry forth on the exterior of the wire/cable/tube,,, right?  So would a
section of copper coated steel ribbon give superior results in a Tesla
primary?  If so, why not start using the cheaper copper flashed steel
coil stock for our primaries?  So I wonder, before I use a piece of
copper coated steel bandstrap on my next experimental primary, is there
anyone out there that has already tried steel? I see nice heavy copper
coated steel plumbers strap for sale cheap!  That is what I will try soon
on a primary, cause the price is right! .....................  Now into
the braided cable.  I learned(much to my chagrin) after I specified good
quality communications copper coax years ago to a customer, that a big
professional outfit(Gray Sound)came along and said that a aluminum foil
conductor in the shield of a coax with a steel interwoven drain wire and
core wire was more benificial than a good quality copper sheilded cable
with a copper center conducting core.  They would not say exactly why,
but they insisted it would carry all signals better than any copper
sheilded cable, and gave a big high powered sell nonetheless that all
parts of the building be run in aluminum/steel coax cable rather than
copper. Needless to say, they got the low bid for the "superior"
aluminum/steel coax.   Was this a mass mesmerizinging because the
contracted outfit brought stock in al/steel coax, or was it for a good
reason that I am still trying to find out?  And a few years later I found
that they had nothing but trouble with the al/steel coax with drifting
and ghosting.  No amount of amplification or buffering could solve the
problem.      They then went for all copper coax and it solved the
problem. Hey I like the copper stuff, but please tell me, Am I missing
something here?  Or did I already answer my own question?  Thank you.  
Al.

> > Thanks for your explanation, but I am still confused.
> > My experience does not agree. I am using an 8" piece of
> > braid right now in my primary. It is the wire that
> > forms the connection for my tap on the primary down
> > to the SG. I have touch this many times, while tuning
> > for example, and have found this piece of braid to be
> > STONE COLD. I have NEVER found this braid to be even
> > the slightest bit warm, but ALWAYS as I have said above
> > "stone cold".
> 
> > Also your explanation of how current, "has to hop from
> > one strand to another", makes me wonder about stranded
> > wire in general. In a standed wire don't those strands
> > have to "duck and dive under each other along the length",
> > as well. That would seem to put stranded wire in the same
> > category as braid. But I have heard of coilers who say they
> > have used STRANDED wire for their PRIMARY coils, without I
> > assume excessive heating.
> 
>> 
> I was horrified to see how bad the braid was after thinking how 
> wonderful it was since it is often used in coax. Thinking of an 
> explanation led to my reasoning about the skin effect. It wasn't 
> until several years later that someone told me it was chosen to make 
> 
> the cable more flexible. The best coax uses aluminim tape for its 
> outer conductor. I've seen this used in ethernet cable.
> 
> Regards,
> Malcolm
> 
> 
> 

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