Triggered gap spacing

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

Original poster: "J. B. Weazle McCreath by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <weazle-at-hurontel.on.ca>


At 07:40 PM 06/11/01 -0700, you wrote:
>Original poster: "Barton B. Anderson by way of Terry Fritz
<twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <tesla123-at-pacbell-dot-net>
>
>Hi All,
>
>Question for the TSG'rs.  Is your gap spacing a weee bit wide?  I've been
>playing with my rq/tcbor version of the Metlicka TSG.  On Saturday I had 
>the total spacing at about 7/16".  The gap wasn't that loud.  Monday, I
>doubled the gap spacing and the gap was "very" loud.  Spark length was
>"no better".  This was just an observation.
>

<snip>

>Just a thought,
>Bart
>

Hello Bart & Coilers,

I'm using a "Vortex Gap" that was designed by Gary Lau, and the only
modification was to add the trigger electrode.  I set my main gap by
the tested method of connecting just the transformer(s) to the gap
and adjusting the spacing so that it just doesn't fire when I've got
about 95 to 100 volts applied to the transformer(s).

It turned out that on my setup the gap was about 0.3" when set as I
just described.  I don't run my coil "wide open" all of the time, so
that's why I set the gap with reduced voltage.  At first I did have
it set much wider, about 0.375" and I did find that the noise output
was reduced somewhat by narrowing in the gap.  Best of all, misfires
are non-existant now, which is an extra safety bonus for the MMC and
the transformer(s) since I'm running close to resonance.

In my opinion it's very important to have a properly adjusted safety
gap as well the main gap.  Should a misfire occur, your safety gaps
will prevent expensive damage to the capacitors and/or transformer(s).
I set my safety gap by connecting only them to the transformer(s) and
adjusting them to just fire with 140 volts input.  At 120 volts they
don't fire at all.

I have to say I do love the sound of the triggered Vortex Gap, and it
adds to the "atmosphere" of running the coil...the noisier the better,
provided it's noise achieved safely!



73, Weazle, VE3EAR/VE3WZL

Listening: 147.030+ and 442.075+
E-mail:    weazle-at-hurontel.on.ca
           or ve3ear-at-rac.ca
Web site:  http://www.hurontel.on.ca/~weazle