Re: [TCML] Single MOT Coil?

[Jeff Behary <jeff_behary@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Awesome question.
Yes, absolutely you can make a Tesla Coil with a single MOT, even a very simple one.
The trick is to use a large enough cap (.1 - .5 mfd works great)...which means
a fairly low frequency coil.  They work especially well with Pancake Coils but here
is a simple cylindrical coil that really did well (until the secondary caught fire!)

http://www.electrotherapymuseum.com/2011/SuperCoil/index.htm
Video - even found a proper topload ;)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MB1OLP2yetM

The gaps are simple but require elemental tungsten pieces 1/2" in diameter precision cut.
I would make a small aluminum block and line 4 or 5 gaps ends to end and set each gap to
no more than a few thousandths of an inch.  The gaps get hot but I never used external things to cool them.
http://www.electrotherapymuseum.com/2007/BinarySparkGap/simple3.jpg
(Ignore the shorting rod in the diagram, it was for a special project)

Pancake Coil, now owned by the former head of electrical training at OSHA :)
(who gave me hell for attending the Philadelphia lecture, forgetting the power cord, cutting a lamp
cord, and then grounding the green wire to a wood screw because I never bothered running it from a 3-wire
cord before!!)

http://www.electrotherapymuseum.com/2005/KilowattKinraide/index.htm
http://www.electrotherapymuseum.com/2011/17July11/TeslaDani/index.htm
http://www.electrotherapymuseum.com/2007/HighResCoils/KilowattKinraideFlames.htm
http://www.electrotherapymuseum.com/2008/KKStills/index.htm

A further embodiment for making really hot arcs for a BBC documentary
http://www.electrotherapymuseum.com/2013/FlamingArc2013/index.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGPBBtTbvKk

Its a lot easier to quench the gap when really large caps are used.  Even 1 or 2 mfd but the system must
have a lot of turns to resonate at such a low frequency.  This is much easier for laboriously wound Pancakes, 
multilayered, many turns per layer..

Do it, you'll be happy you did.  The discharges are incredible.
If you ever get a matched pair of MOTs and want to try something really fun:
http://www.electrotherapymuseum.com/2009/15Nov09/CompactCoil.htm

Best - Jeff

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