[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: Spark gap



Original poster: "Dr. Resonance" <resonance@xxxxxxxxxx>



At this power level, use all 8.  Set total gap around 200 -220 mils.  A
sinple 100
 muffin fan will provide all the air you need (Fair Radio Surplus or C&H
Surplus).


Dr. Resonance > >All, > >I was planning on using my leaf blower to push air through my > >TCBOR/Richard Quick spark gap. Is this too much airflow? I have 8, 1/2 > >(0.5) inch copper pipes inside a 6" diameter piece of PVC. Also, it looks > >like I can get in one more piece of copper pipe for an even 8 spark gaps. > >I have been advised to set the total, overall gap to 0.2 inches/8 = 0.025 > >per gap. Of course with the brass bolts sticking out the side of the PVC, > >I can run any number of gaps I want from 1 to 8. I was also advised that > >once the spark gap is completed, it is a real BEAR to try to reset the > >gaps and in fact that once it is set and running well, that I should > >permanently fix the copper pipe electrodes with epoxy to keep them from > >migrating and ruining my setup. > > > >I also have a shop vac that I can use to suck air through the spark gap. > >The shop vac doesn't move nearly as much air as the leaf blower. I am > >using a 15kV 30mA NST. Is this spark gap overkill in the first place or > >does this sound like a good plan? BTW, 21 inch x 4 inch secondary with > >1100 turns, 14 turn 0.25 inch copper tubing primary flat, and 3.5 inch x > >15 inch toroid. Oh yeah, .01 mF primary cap. > > > >Finally, if I use the spark gap with 8 gaps, do I start off using all 8 > >gaps? Or, do I start with one and work my way up as I tune and adjust the coil? > > A leaf blower is a bit excessive. Try a simple muffin fan first. This > isn't a blast gap, but the air flow does two things: cool the electrodes > (doesn't take much flow to do this.. not all that many watts are being > dissipated); move the sparking points around (again, almost any motion does > this). > > > > > >