Re: Troubleshooting Sequence for Tuning, aka HELP!

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

Original poster: "by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>" <Esondrmn-at-aol-dot-com>

In a message dated 3/20/01 4:46:51 PM Pacific Standard Time, tesla-at-pupman-dot-com 
writes:

<< 
 I am still pursuing the elusive tuned circuit.  I have rebuilt my secondary 
to
 replace the one that failed due to internal tracking.  Here is what I have
 found so far:
  
 1.  According to the calcs, my secondary should be matched to the primary.
 2. With the toriod removed, I do get fine streamers from the loose primary
 wire.  I had to tap in several turns on the primary to get this.  It would
 appear then my my circuit is wired correctly.
 3. With the toriod remounted, the only sparks that I get is when I taped a 
nail
 to the toriod.  This breakout point will generate small, fine arcs.  I can 
hold
 an insulated metal object close and get a spark length of 8-10".  The toriod 
is
 17" OD with a chord of 4".  Could this be too big?
 4. Various tap positions have some effect in length, but not any real
 improvements.
  
 How would you approach tuning from here?  I am using a SRSG (120bps).  I 
don't
 have the phase adjustment capability yet, but I know that will be added 
shortly
 to help in the tuning.  Can a grossly mis-phased SG prevent breakout?  Also, 
I
 am looking at secondary to primary coupling.  The bottom of the secondary
 winding is about 1/2" above the top of the flat primary, and the distance
 between the two is about 3".  Where would folks go from here in the tuning
 process?
  
 Thanks,
 Stan >>

Stan,

If you have one, I would first tune the coil utilizing a static spark gap.  
Then swap the sync rotary back in.  Now dial the variac, supplying voltage to 
your transformer, up until the rotary gap is firing.  When I was doing this, 
if the phase setting on the sync rotary was way off, my safety gaps would 
fire with the variac only up to about 50% of full power.  I first adjusted 
the rotary gap phase setting (by rotating the motor in it's cradle) a few 
degrees at a time until I found a point where I could run at full voltage 
without the safety gaps firing.  Then I worked on tuning again, for longest 
sparks, then worked on fine tuning the sync gap phase setting.  You will know 
when you have it set correctly, the coil will run very smoothly and the gap 
will make a steady tone - one which drives my wife crazy.

Good luck, Ed Sonderman