RE: "I want bigger sparks!" (me too)

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

Original poster: "spoonMAN by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <spoonMAN534-at-yahoo-dot-com>

Thanks for the help.. I have a small fan blowing on the gap, but it's not
nearly enough.. I'm gonna try a multi-gap next.. just gotta find the time to
build it.. although, a triggered gap sounds like the best idea yet..

Ben McMillen


-----Original Message-----
From: Tesla list [mailto:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com]
Sent: Saturday, August 11, 2001 9:09 PM
To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: "I want bigger sparks!" (me too)


Original poster: "by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
<FutureT-at-aol-dot-com>

In a message dated 8/11/01 2:46:38 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
writes:

> Hey all,
>   As far as Spark Gaps go.. Should the electrodes for a static gap be
>  slightly spherical? I'm using a pair of large bolts with the heads as the
>  electrodes.. I've also been having problems with output.. I can't get
>  anything larger than about 12" to a grounded copper toilet float on a
jesus
>  stick.. other than that, I get hardly any breakout (maybe 3 or 4 inches)
>  with a breakout point.. I've been wondering if my gap is too lossy..
>
>  Ben McMillen

Ben,

Using just a single gap like that often requires an air blast to
cool and quench the gap.  It's not really losses that are the
problem.  You may want to try using a multi pipe gap or a so
called TCBOR/RQ gap.  Better yet would be a Gary Lau type
Vortex gap.  Other alternatives (if you're using an LTR cap)
are sync gaps, and triggered gaps.

Spherical heads won't help much or at all.

John Freau