RE: tesla coil

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Lau, Gary by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>" <Gary.Lau-at-compaq-dot-com>

Hi Josh:

Can you describe (in detail) what you have for a main spark gap and for a
top load (toroid) on your secondary?  These are some of the most important
components and can easily account for problems.

Gary Lau

-----Original Message-----
From: Tesla list [mailto:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com]
Sent: Monday, January 01, 2001 11:37 PM
To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: tesla coil


Original poster: "Joshua Lovato by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>"
<jlovato-at-newmexico-dot-com>

Hi I am new to tesla coils. I recently built a TC with a 1.75 diameter, 680
turn primary and a 5 inch helical sec taped at 3 turns. Im using a 9-10kv
20-30?ma NST and a home rolled .012uf poly cap in mineral oil.  I was able
to
get 3 inch arcs out of the secondary. what would you sugest that I do to
increase arc legnth? could the problome be my cap? (the equations and tesla
softwair originaly called for .0079uf caps but the capacity on my cap went
up
to .012uf after I put it in a PVC pipe and filled it with oil) 
 
thanks,
Josh