Re: Simulation vs. Experimentation (was: Capacitor Help)

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: Ed Phillips <evp@xxxxxxxxxxx>

Hey Ed,

if you have enough time to learn using it, then try out PSpice for 
simulation. It's a bit of work to get used to it but if you know what 
you're doing it will give the best possible results because it uses 
low-level simulation. So it doesn't just calculate some values with 
formulas used in programs such as TeslaMap (don't get me wrong, 
TeslaMap is a great program for design but it's a design program and 
not a simulation software) but calculates the flow of charges between 
capacitors etc. on a very low level ... You can think of PSpice as an 
"electron simulator".

If you don't use it for commercial purpose it can be downloaded for 
free, for example from HotStreamer.com:

http://hot-streamer.com/TeslaCoils/Programs/1-91pspstu.exe   (28Meg)

Regards, Q."

   I use Electronic Work Bench (now Multisim I think) which is 
spice-based and very easy to use.  Fun for simulating TC behavior, 
including chaotic operation when using a high leakage inductance 
NSTdriving a straight gap configuration, but not as a design tool.  I 
can't see any reason for a beginner to use anything more than 
Wheeler's and Medhurst's approximations and a pencil and paper for an 
initial design of a beginner's system.  I think that if I were a 
beginner who really hadn't built anything electrical or RF I 'd be 
somewhat intimidated by all of the design programs which fellows have 
designed and offer.  [I have my own too, of course, but don't push 
them on anyone else.]

Ed