RE: Primary Strikes, how serious/bad?

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

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

I'd like to refute the suggestion that a primary strike could damage a tank
cap.  I believe this is impossible.  The only way the cap could be damaged
is if it were charged to too high a voltage.  No matter how or when a
streamer strikes the primary, the tank cap cannot be charged to a voltage
higher that what existed before the spark gap fires.

I personally haven't yet made up my mind as to whether a strike ring is
needed.  The down side of using it is that being the highest grounded point,
it attracts streamers.  But yet it may provide cheap insurance against some
other failure modes.  Possibilities include NST damage, and transients
coupled into your AC power lines.

Gary Lau
MA, USA



Original poster: "brian by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
<ka1bbg1-at-mcttelecom-dot-com>

Hi, sounds like its time to get a piece of 3/8 copper and make a strike
ring! and yes it will destroy your caps and NST easily! cul brian f.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
To: <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2001 7:56 PM
Subject: Primary Strikes, how serious/bad?


> Original poster: "jpeakall by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
<jpeakall-at-mcn-dot-org>
>
> Howdy All,
>
> Finally built a bigger torrid and got it tuned right. However, the
increased
> sparks are hitting parts of the primary circuit with fair regularity. I
have
> a Fritz RF filter and a carcom filter. Am I gonna toast my NST? Or will I
> blow up things connected to the AC mains?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Jonathan Peakall
>
>
>
>