Resulting static after TC runs

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: Steve Ward <steve.ward@xxxxxxxxx>

Hey guys,

I know all about secondary coils building up a net static charge, when
you grab onto it and lt gives you a good one ;-)  but has anyone
noticed the surrounding environment (floors, walls, ceiling)
developing a serious static charge?

Ever since i switched my DRSSTCs over to primary current feedback, ive
noticed that the coil charges up my floor to a good 5-8kv (estimating
by the sparks i can throw to nearby objects when standing in that
floor space after a TC run).  And tonight i ran my larger DRSSTC for
the first time on primary feedback... it was snapping out 42" sparks
at only 50% input (and 700A peak in the primary!!  cant wait to take
this thing outside!).  Anyway, i walk over to measure the spark
distance with my measuring tape, and while holding the tape up near
the target i get several (maybe 10) 1/4" sparks from the target to the
tape in my hand.  That's some impressive static build up!  What really
impressed me is that it just kept firing off the .25" sparks, about
twice a second.  There is also the pain of grabbing the primary clip
to tune, this static sure is getting annoying!  And i must also note
that the shocks i get from this static is seemingly more painful than
your typical static build up (my friend noticed this as well when he
came to see my coil a few weeks back).

So does anyone have an idea of whats going on here?  I seem to
remember hearing that its possible to get a diode effect with
differently shaped terminals?  But i still cant figure out why my tile
floor is accumulating so much charge.  Interestingly, i never noticed
this effect when running my coil with secondary feedback, but maybe a
simple environmental change explains it all (perhaps its dryer
recently).

Curious to see if anyone else has noticed this... its a first for me
and I've been playing with coils for, oh, 6 years now and quite
usually in this same location.

Seeya,

Steve Ward