Re: long leads from psu to primary WAS RE: 3/4, 1/4, or 3/4 copper tubing? Is a Strike Rail needed?

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

Original poster: "Malcolm Watts by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <m.j.watts-at-massey.ac.nz>

Hi Justin,

On 5 Nov 2002, at 8:02, Tesla list wrote:

 > Original poster: "Justin Wright by way of Terry Fritz 
<twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <justin-at-tracesofnut-dot-com>
 >
 > Hi All,
 >
 > Malcom wrote...
 >
 >        If you have a primary <snip>.....
 > .....primary cap overvolting. Long leads between the transformer
 > and Tesla primary are a good way to boost such voltages as are
 > "filter" chokes. With the risetimes involved, these components can
 > act like transmission lines and little Tesla secondaries all by
 > themselves.
 >
 >
 > Does this refer to situations involving primary strikes?  Do long leads
 > and filter chokes increase the 'bad' effects of a primary strike on the
 > transformer.
 >
 > Or do long leads just increase the voltage in the primary under general
 > use?

Good questions, and I am guilty of straying off the path somewhat. To
the first question I would say that it would not surprise me in the
least if it did. But even if it didn't, the common-mode voltage
appearing at the transformer terminals is bad enough. To the second
it is my experience that long leads are generally bad news anytime.
RC filters should help alleviate the effects but possibly not
eliminate them altogether given the risetimes and consequently small
capacitances required for coupling such signals from one part of the
circuit to the other.

     To others: I too have run many coils without strike rings but my
mains-powered coils are designed to obviate primary strikes and where
these are likely to occur, I will employ a strike ring. Rewinding
transformers is not my favourite hobby.

Regards,
malcolm