Re: First light....in places it shouldn't have been

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

Original poster: Esondrmn-at-aol-dot-com 

In a message dated 5/5/04 8:17:21 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
tesla-at-pupman-dot-com writes:


>OK folks... Here's one I need some help on.
>This is the first official Pole transformer fired coil I've done. Based on
>a few things that happened, it is over coupled, there isn't enough
>clearance between the primary and secondary (which will get better as the
>secondary goes up) and the toroid is too small. One thing really surprised,
>and infuriated me at the same time... I Blew out my Voltmeter, in a nice
>flash... not sure why that would happen. Also I can't seem to get rid of
>the "bucking" that seems to happen. It is quite audible in the firing of
>the gap and can be heard as a sort of wave coming and going. The gap is
>asynchronous, and is the first async gap I've done.
>Not all bad though. At less than half the variac dial I have really
>impressive arcs until I get straight downward hits to the primary from the
>bottom of the secondary. I have to redesign some stuff to raise the sec,
>but I'll let you know what happens. Any help with the voltmeter and bucking
>problems would be helpful. I'm going to replace the 6x24 toroid with an 8
>or 12  by  36  to see where that takes me.
>
>Thanks as always!
>
>Chris Walton


Chris,

I experienced this or similar "bucking" noise that I heard coming from my 
async rotary with my first distribution transformer.  I was experiencing a 
60 hz resonance in the primary, due to the welder that I was using as 
ballast.  The primary tank voltages were going extremely high and 
eventually destroyed my commercial cap.  I suggest that you install a 
safety gap directly across your rotary.  I set mine at about .50" to 
.625".  With the coil dialed in and running at full power, this safety gap 
should not fire at all.

Ed Sonderman