Re: caps

To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: caps
From: Robert Volk <smrtmny2-at-earthlink-dot-net> (by way of Terry Fritz <twf-at-verinet-dot-com>)
Date: Sat, 06 Feb 1999 19:09:59 -0700
Approved: twf-at-verinet-dot-com

> 
> 
> Well, somehow it slipped passed me that you will be using a single 15kV/60mA
> NST. Removing PE layers will increase the capacitance (and lower voltage
> rating, of course). By removing only one layer per side per single cap, your
> "total" cap would still be able to survive the 15kV and you would have a
> higher capacitance. This means more joules per bang. However, a 10nF
> cap is about right for your 60mA NST. This should get you into resonace
> charging, because Xl(NST) = Xc (cap). This will "cheat" your NST and allow
> you to suck more current from it, than that 60mA faceplate value would let
> you believe. In your case going any higher than 10nF won&acute;t help
because
> your 60mA NST won&acute;t be able to fully charge the capacitor. So your cap
> construction IS fine the way you have now built it.
> 
> Sorry about any confusion I might have caused.


No problem - I always appreciate input as I'm still a newbie at this. My
caps are filled and I'm now breaking them in. My vacumn pump wasn't
working so I turned my 4" square palm sander upside down and turned it
on. I then placed a cap on top of this and held it with light pressure
in place. The vibrations from the sander (with no sandpaper on it of
course!) caused the bubbles to rise up out of the poly sheeting very
rapidly - has anyone else tried this?
Already I see a difference with these new caps although I've closed my
spark gap down to 30% of normal, I'm getting crisper sparks than with my
salt water caps and just as long. I'm ready to put my larger toroid on
and retune!

Bob V
Bob V