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Re: Commercial Capacitors



Tesla List wrote:
> 
> Subscriber: Taylor.Chris.CC-at-bhp-dot-com.au Tue Dec 31 09:29:59 1996
> Date: Mon, 30 Dec 1996 19:31:36 +1100
> From: "Taylor, Chris CC" <Taylor.Chris.CC-at-bhp-dot-com.au>
> To: "tesla-at-pupman-dot-com" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
> Subject: Commercial Capacitors
> 
> Greetings to all. I am new to coiling and am in the process of gaining
> as much info before embarking on my first coil. I wish to build a coil
> using a 12 kV 30 ma neon which will require a 0.008 uF capacitor, (50 Hz
> supply in Australia).
> 
> I have seen advertised in Information Unlimited's catalogue capacitors
> rated at 0.01uF -at- 30 kV for US$130 and 0.005 uF -at- 20 kV for US$60. Does
> anyone have any experience with this company's product and which cap
> size would give the best results. If I'm going to invest in a commercial
> cap I don't want to blow the bugger up if I can help it. Capacitors
> rated at Tesla coil voltages are rare in Oz and also very expensive.
> These capacitors seemed to be well priced.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Chris Taylor
> 
> taylor.chris.cc-at-bhp-dot-com.au

Chris,

Check out Plastic Capacitors and Condensor Products before making a
decision. Both of these outfits warranty their caps for TC use, and have
derated them appropriately. I'm not familiar with Information
Unlimited's warranty policy, nor with these specific caps. If these are
DC rated, then the only one which may work is the 0.01 30 KV one, but
this one may be a bit large for your 12 KV 30 MA power source. You'll
blow the 20 KV cap if it it was rated at 20 KVDC. Generally, you need to
multiply the AC RMS voltage you're planning to run by a factor of 3-4X
to arrive at the proper "DC" rating required. This also assumes that the
cap is a low inductance, pulse rated, polypropylene dielectric type.

Have you considered he possibility of "rolling your own" LDPE type? 

Safe cappin' to ya!

-- Bert --