Re: 1st Tesla Coil

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

Original poster: "Mark W. Stolz by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <mark_w_stolz-at-hotmail-dot-com>

Hi Chris,

First off your gap spacing seems a tad wide.  Normally I've used about .030" 
gap spacing whereas you are more than double that at .0625.  This will drive 
your tank voltage up and be a possible threat to other components.

Where is your primary tapped at?  With such a large topload I'm hoping 
you're out at around turn 14-15.

Do you have any pictures of your setup out on the web?  I would be 
interested in seeing your capacitor setup.

Mark Stolz
Houston, TX


>Original poster: "quezacotl GF by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" 
><quezacotl_14000000000000-at-yahoo-dot-com>
>
>
>Hi Everybody,
>
>          This is my first post to the mailing list and one of my buddies 
>and I
>finished our first coil about a month ago. It took quite a while and with a 
>bit
>of help (thanks Greg) we got it completed. The problem is that we can't 
>draw
>anything from the coil without a grounding wire, and with it, we get all of 
>the
>corona we want but actual sparks are thin, weak, 6-7" sparks. I'm asking 
>the
>great and infinite wisdom of the tesla coil mailing list whether or not 
>this is
>the best our coil can put out, or if there's something we can do. Here are 
>the
>specs for the coil:
>
>Transformer: 12kV/30mA NST rated for 120 Volts. I am using the NST 
>protection
>filter seen at
><http://hot-streamer-dot-com/greg/filter.htm>http://hot-streamer-dot-com/greg/filter
>.htm
>
>Capacitor: 7 - 16oz saltwater bottles. We've tried 8 bottles but it didn't 
>make
>much of a diffrence. ( I know MMTs are better, but I'm too poor to afford
>them.)
>
>Spark gap: 7 - 3/4" copper pipes spaced about 1/16" apart. Gap can be 
>widened
>or shortened if necessary.
>
>Primary coil: 15 turns of 1/4" copper refridgeration tubing spaced 1/4" 
>apart.
>
>Secondary coil: approx 1080 turns of #26 gauge magnet wire. Coil is wrapped 
>for
>18.75" around a 3" diameter ABS pipe. Bottom of coil is connected to ground 
>via
>a piece of rebar drove into the ground.
>
>Toroid: 4" cross section aluminum flex duct. Outer diameter is 15.25".
>
>If you have any questions, advice, comments, or just want to make fun of me 
>for
>the fact that I can't build a Tesla Coil properly ( everybody else does ) 
>then
>just email me at
><mailto:quezacotl_14000000000000-at-yahoo-dot-com>quezacotl_14000000000000-at-yahoo-dot-com
>
>Thanks, Chris
>
>
>
>
>
>