Re: Electronic damage

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

Original poster: "Malcolm Watts by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <m.j.watts-at-massey.ac.nz>

Hi Anthony,
            Here are the key things I have found over the years:

- the coil *must* be well tuned.
- the secondary ground *must* be of high quality and *must not* be
  the mains ground.
- A line filter between the power source (often the mains) and the
  transformers running the coil is very helpful in suppressing mains-
  borne noise and interference
- Running a disruptive primary with no secondary present is an
  absolute no-no. The radiated hash is horrific.
- leads to any other equipment act like aerials and should ideally be
  unplugged from that equipment. I have seen a number of printer
  interface chips go up in smoke, have seen the insulation in an old
  drill press and anglepoise lamp tested to destruction, and lost a
  hub port by not following these practices. I also once destroyed an
  RF bypass capacitor connected between an isolated lab power supply
  and its chassis when testing a 14J Marx bank.

Regards,
Malcolm

On 18 Jun 2002, at 7:35, Tesla list wrote:

> Original poster: "Anthony by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
<firework-at-firework.co.nz>
> 
> Hi there,
> 
> I am new on the list. Years ago when I worked in a University Physics 
> Department building lecture demonstrations I built a 2 metre high Tesla 
> powered with three neon sign transformers in parallel.
> 
> It worked very well and we just charged in to the lecture theatre and used 
> it with no thoughts of all the electronics just through the wall in the 
> back room. It would dimly light dimly all the fluorescent in a room seating 
> 350 students when we ran it. They had thyratron dimmers.
> 
> We never had any damage problems. But  recently I was asked to run and 
> event where a touring artist with his Tesla coil is going to figure on 
> stage indoors.
> 
> I am very leery of it but am I being too conservative?  Todays electronics 
> items are I think vastly less forgiving than those of 25 years ago.
> 
> We are also to supply pyrotechnic effects and they will be foil wrapped in 
> locked metal trunks  well  away till he is done.
> 
> But has any one had a computer blown?  I realise that in a small garage 
> damage is easily done, but has any one ever run a coil on stage in a 
> theatre with all the lights and sound gear up and running?
> 
> Any one fried all the nearby cell phones or killed a walkman or blitzed the 
> lighting dimmers on the wall?
> 
> I see how damage is possible but does it occur easily in practice?
> 
> Interested to hear of your actual experiences in the matter as I am so out 
> of touch now.
> 
> 
> Kind Regards     Anthony Lealand             Firework Professionals 
> Ltd          Web   www.firework.co.nz      
> 
> 
> 
>