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Re: Semi-Rotten Spark Length
Reinhard -
Unless you use controlled sparks your spark output is a random output and
should not be used for comparison of coils.
John Couture.
----------------------------------
At 10:17 PM 5/23/99 -0600, you wrote:
>Original Poster: "Reinhard Walter Buchner" <rw.buchner-at-verbund-dot-net>
>
>Hi All,
>
>Iīve got a problem. Maybe someone has some ideas.
>First of all, here is my complete coil data:
----------------------- big snip
>Now, why the **!-at-##-at- is my spark output in case number 4 so rotten?? I
>almost doubled the input Joules compared to setup number 3. I increased
>the xformer current by a factor of 1.4. I would have expected to get at
>least around 65-70" continuous sparks, but no go. The only thing I could
>finally get the coil to do, was to break out a single streamer in case #4,
>using a blunt nail. Without the nail output spark length was only slightly (I
>didnīt actually measure it, I just eyeballed it) less than the 57", but the
>sparks swirled all around the toroid, making measurement difficult. I
>tried various additional "toploads" as a discharge electrode. I also tried
>increasing / decreasing coupling, but it didnīt help in making the sparks
>any longer (making them shorter was easy enough though :oÞ). Best
>spark length was achieved, when the primary (!) was ~4.8" above the
>lower most secondary winding. Going up to 5" didnīt change it too much.
>I didnīt go above 5" as I have seen racing sparks in earlier setups (i.e: in
>case 3) appear above 5". Decreasing the primary heigth to 4" started
>reducing spark length. Primary tapping is semi-critical. Moving the tap
>more than (+/-) 1/4 turn will let the output drop like a rock. None of the
>above MMC are mains reso caps, although case #3 does come pretty
>close to it.
>
>Any clues, tips, or comments are more than welcome, because I am
>totally STUMPED on this one.
>
>Coiler greets from germany,
>Reinhard
>