RE: cap/spark gap

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "Qndre Qndre" <qndre_encrypt@xxxxxxxxxxx>

Hi Michael.

If you put the cap across the supply transformer the transformer sees 
the full voltage of the capacitor of your LC circuit while the 
circuit is oscillating. Since this is RF it won't do your transformer 
any good. However the RF may be filtered by a Terry filter.

If you put the gap across the supply transformer, it will probably 
see less RF. Since the ionized gas in the gap is a good conductor 
after it has fired the voltage drop across the gap will usually not 
be too high. Furthermore the gap is not storing (much) energy so 
current through the gap and voltage across the gap are (almost) in 
phase so the impedance of the gap is (mostly) resistive. Last but not 
least the conducting gap will almost short your supply transformer 
out while the circuit is oscillating so it cannot interfere with the 
resonant circuit.

Regards, Q.

----Original Message Follows----
From: "Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: tesla@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: cap/spark gap
Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2006 09:35:17 -0600


Original poster: "Michael Ong" <omenowner725@xxxxxxxxxxx>

hello, i just had a quick question that i hoped someone could answer 
out there. i have view many tesla coil schematics and it seems like 
there are two ways of hooking the capacitor and spark gap. some 
schematics show that the spark gap is in parallel with the 
transformer and then the cap is hooked in series with the transformer 
and primary coil. others show the cap being in parallel with the 
transformer and the spark gap being in series with the transformer 
and primary coil. i was wondering what the difference in performance 
was. is one way (spark gap in parallel with the transformer) for 
center tapped transformers while the other way is for non ceter 
tapped ones? or does it really not matter? thanks again for all your 
help, with it i have gotten my first coil to shoot some 14" sparks 
and am making an tcbor gap so hopefully will get even better.