Re: Capacitor Help

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "MalcolmTesla" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, December 16, 2005 8:54 PM


> Original poster: Terry Fritz <vardin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
> Hi,
>
> At 07:12 PM 12/16/2005, you wrote:
>
> > > Just resist the temptation to increase the main gap size to get
> > > larger arcs.  But LTR MMCs should fix that risk anyway...
> >
> >Humm but I thought the correct way to set the spark gap is to hookup
nothing
> >but the NST to the spark gap and then set the gap as wide as I can with
the
> >cooling fan blowing on it.  My understanding was set the gap as wide as
it
> >will reliably go without been intermitent.  Is that not right?
> >Or is my above described proceedure correct but once the caps and primary
> >are hooked up it's possible to increase the spark gap because of all the
> >extra power in the circuit and that's what I should not do?
>
> In the days of resonant caps, if you increased the gap width, the NST
> voltage would increase too.  If the gap were too wide, the NST would
> blow up.  Theoretically it could go to like 80,000V!!  Thus the
> warning about too wide of gaps and safety gaps just in case.
>
> Of course times have changed now, but I still say somethings out of
> old habit %:-)  You are right about how to adjust the gap.

OK cool.  When I fire this up I'm sure I'll have lots more questions.
(hopefully this weekend, fingers crossed)

> > > When using a strike ring, wire it to RF ground which is separate from
> > > your mains house ground. I use copper pipe hammered into the ground
> > > for RF ground. The bottom secondary is also attached to RF ground.
> >
> >Owww this throws another wrench in the works.  A copper pipe hammered
into
> >the ground hey...  hummm is this the only way?  I mean that's fine for
> >playing at home but the whole reason I started building the Tesla Coil is
> >because we are having a christmas tree decoration contest at work.  My
team
> >as built a christmas tree cage from chicken wire and I'm building the
Tesla
> >Coil (on my own dime) to go inside the tree cage.  We're not going to
have a
> >copper pipe in the ground available there.  Is there an alternative we
can
> >do?
>
> Ground the bottom of the secondary and strike ring to the cage.  Are
> there any major steel parts of the building near by.  Like girders or
> metalwork??  Look around the building area tomorrow for solid metal
things...

There's nothing metal in the imediate area.  Although we do have a suspended
ceiling with metal rails and structure framing overhead.  I'll see if I can
get a ladder and run some cable up there to ground the cage, strike ring,
and ground connection of the secondary.  This kind of information from you
guys is invaluable.  I really do appreciate it.

> I have never mentioned this before, but I have often contemplated
> using a choke between the RF ground and the AC line ground.  The AC
> line ground could then still provide 60Hz safety but the choke would
> block the RF from the AC ground.  My DRSSTC has this but I have
> always used an RF ground too...  One problem with running only the AC
> ground is that if the RF really wanted to arc across the choke, it
> easily could...

Sounds interesting.  It would certainly help with making the whole unit more
portable.