mysterious coil failure (fwd)

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2007 22:10:06 -0400
From: Scott Bogard <teslas-intern@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: tesla@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: mysterious coil failure


Hey guys,
     I was running my 6-in MOT coil tonight for my little cousins, and it
died and I cannot figure out what is wrong.  The spark gap fires fine, I
did not adjust anything, it just died between runs, and won't arc except
to a grounded rod (it acts like it is badly out of tune, but like I said,
I adjusted nothing).  The only thing different I notice, is that there was
very high humidity, and I could see a tiny spark at the base of the
secondary.  It isn't arcing to anything, it is just a glowing spot, that
melted through the electrical tape insulation.  I'm stumped, I guess I'll
tear the insulation off of the bottom of the sec' coil and see if anything
is amiss, but I've never had a failure like this before.  The only other
possibility is that somehow my ballast malfunctioned, but I don't think
so.

Scott Bogard.

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