Re: NST Life Expectancy

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

Original poster: "Crow Leader by way of Terry Fritz <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" <tesla-at-lists.symmetric-dot-net>

When I was big into burning out neon sign transformers, I found that the old
tar filled ones seemed to be rougher and tougher than some of the newer
epoxied units. The ones that lasted the shortest time under abuse were ones
from Actown. The tar filled Jefferson electric ones seemed the hardest to
destroy, and were obviously much older.

Considering how most any part needs to be "just good enough" it would not
surprise me if the "newer" transformers were indeed much prone to
destruction under tesla coil use than the old ones since over the years you
can figure out where to cut costs in the construction a little bit here and
there until there is no excess which tends to be useful when you want to
abuse something.

KEN


----- Original Message -----
From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
To: <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Sent: Friday, June 13, 2003 7:11 PM
Subject: Re: NST Life Expectancy


 > Original poster: "June Heidlebaugh by way of Terry Fritz
<teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" <rheidlebaugh-at-desertgate-dot-com>
 >
 > I have been using the same NST transformers over 50 years and I've never
had
 > a problem with any of my 4 except the one I dropped and broke the
insulator
 > off.    Robert  H
 > ----- Original Message -----
 > From: Tesla list <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
 > To: <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
 > Sent: Friday, June 13, 2003 8:00 AM
 > Subject: NST Life Expectancy
 >
 >
 >  > Original poster: "WIZZARD . by way of Terry Fritz
<teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>"
 > <pbobyk-at-hotmail-dot-com>
 >  >
 >  > My 4" coil and had one of the NST's die.
 >  > I suspect my protection circuit was the cause.
 >  > I made a Terry filter and put it on my remaining NST.
 >  > I believe the second transformer has now failed.
 >  > I'm new to this game but I think a transformer should last more than a
 >  > couple minutes of operation.
 >  > What is the normal life expectancy of an NST?
 >  >
 >  > The second 15KV/30mA transformer was doing great. The coil was tuned
and
 > my
 >  > new RQ gaps were opened full..
 >  > I could hear some internal arcing inside the NST case and could smell a
 >  > burning smell.
 >  > I pulled the top off the transformer immediately and some smoke/steam
came
 >  > out as I lifted the cover.
 >  > I could see the tar had cracks just like the last one that failed. This
 >  > time there was a small hole where what looked like water had condensed
 >  > around. The liquid was also condensed on the top that I lifted off. The
 >  > transformer case was quite warm if you grabbed the case.
 >  > What is happening?
 >  > How can I stop this.
 >  >
 >  > A quickly going broke coiler... LOL!
 >  >
 >  > _
 >  >
 >  >
 >
 >
 >