Re: Source for Aluminum Spheres (up to 12" threaded)

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

Original poster: Esondrmn-at-aol-dot-com 

In a message dated 10/25/03 7:11:07 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
tesla-at-pupman-dot-com writes:


> > In what way better?  Clearly they work just fine but wonder what their
> > edge is over a sphere with the same breakdown voltage.
> >
> > Ed
>
>
>One way I can think of is that a toroid gives you mostly independent control
>over the breakout voltage and topload capacitance.  The major diameter
>mostly controls the topload capacitance.  The minor diameter mostly controls
>the breakout voltage.  With a sphere, you don't have this level of control.
>
>Gerry R
>Ft Collins, CO


Also, the toroid will provide "shading" for the top few windings of the 
coil so we don't get sparks breaking out from there.  I have tried spheres 
on my three inch secondary and still had to have a small toroid on top then 
the sphere raised up from there.

Ed Sonderman