Re: best coupling clearance

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

Original poster: Peter Lawrence <Peter.Lawrence-at-Sun.COM> 

Gerry,
       "in theory" a higher K means energy is transfered from the primary to
the secondary quicker, meaning you lose less energy to resistance losses in
the primary. But "in practice" for small to medium sized coils a low value
of K is better, it results in fewer secondary breakdown arcs, for reasons
that no one seems to fully understand, and the difference in output spark
length is usually unmeasurable. For your "first light" it is recommended
that you start with a raised secondary, and only lower it after good tuning
is accomplished.
-Pete Lawrence.

 >Original poster: "Gerry Reynolds by way of Terry Fritz 
<teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>"
<gerryreynolds-at-earthlink-dot-net>
 >
 >Dr R.
 >
 >When all is said and done,  does the primary winding end up above or below
 >the bottom turn on the secondary???   Seems like K is decreased as the
 >primary is lowered below this bottom turn and is increased as the primary is
 >raised above the bottom turn.  Should one try to maximize K without getting
 >racing sparks or secondary to primary breakdown???   Why does one start with
 >a primary below the secondary bottom turn if this lowers K???
 >
 >Gerry R
 >Ft Collins, CO