Re: [TCML] Intro and questions

[Mddeming@xxxxxxx]

Hi Paul,
 
    Welcome! Where in Michigan do you live? You might  have a number of other 
coilers very close to you. Other comments interspersed  below:
 
Matt D.
 
In a message dated 12/7/07 2:54:52 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
dunnsept@xxxxxxxxxxx writes:

Just a quick introduction:

My name is Paul, I've been doing some  of the "introductory" HV stuff like 
Jaccob's Ladders, & ignition coil  spark drivers etc.
now it's time to move on to Tesla coils. I've been  reading as much as I can 
online and trying to separate the wheat from  the
chaff. I hope that once I get up to speed, I can then reciprocate and  help 
others.
I live in Michigan and work as a computer programmer/network  admin.

ok, on to the questions! (knew that was coming, didn't  you)

I have a franceformer 9kv 30 mA nst I will use for my first coil.  I've read 
online about the range of sizes appropriate for use
given a  particular input. What are the parameters for the choice though? How 
do I  decide if I should use say 2 inch versus 3
or 3.5? I don't have any of them  available at home, I only would have 1" PVC 
so I have to purchase PVC or  what-have-you regardless.


*Three to four inch PVC is a perfectly respectable size coil  for this 
transformer. I would put the extremes at 2" and 6". It is true that  the larger 
diameter you start with, the higher power you can go to before you  need to wind a 
new one, but imagine a 4-cylinder Hum-V. Also, a so-called  "toilet flange" 
is an easy, off-the-shelf mount for 3"-4" PVC, but  when you go larger, you 
have to get much more creative. 

I also do not have  anywhere near enough wire so I will  wind up purchasing 
that too. The wire choice, as I understand
it should be  such that for whatever size form I have, I should get 800 - 
1600 turns with a  winding/length ratio of about 5:1 (correct?)



*the majority of coils are wound at 3:1 to 5:1 ratio with smaller coils  
tending towards the large end, as they represent a good compromise between  
Inductance, resistance, physical stability, and aesthetics. Just about every  ratio 
has been tried between 1:3 and 10:1 at some time or other.  Everything about a 
TC is a compromise between conflicting parameters.
 

thanks for your input/feedback to help this newbie get started   ;-)
(for what it's worth, even though I'm not particularly well versed in  some 
of these aspects, I'd rather learn what I can about it rather
than  have someone just give me a shopping list)

tia
Paul...


* One important item usually not mentioned until it's too late: It is  
probably NOT a good idea to drill your PVC and bring the  terminations of the 
windings inside the coil form.
 
Ask many, many more questions. As a friend of mine who raises  mastiffs likes 
to say, "Mistakes on paper are much easier to clean up than  mistakes on the 
shop floor." ;^)))))
 
Hope this helps,



Matt D.
 
 





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