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

Re: Hello

Original poster: Ed Phillips <evp@xxxxxxxxxxx>

Tesla list wrote:


Original poster: "Matthew Runhart" <runmatrix@xxxxxxxxxxx>
I have a pretty good background in electronics and robotics and have decided to build a tesla coil. I have done few things over 500V and after seeing a friends tesla coil in action I decided it would be pretty fun to buld my own. He has a website by the way teslafun.piczo.com
Just started building my coil the other day, It'll be my first. Its going to be portable enough to fit in my duffelbag and so far uses 3 parts (a 7.2V batt, a relay, and an ignition coil. the relay is setup to "buzz" for lack of a better term) and gets a 1/4" to a 1/2" spark off the ignition coil HV lead depending on random things (its far from reliable).
I was wondering if anyone knows of a reliable, solid state circuit that i could drive the ignition coil with? One thing that I want is that it doesn't plug into the wall and can be operated at 7.2V or 14.4V. 

relay------- home-made, guess-timate 120 amps, 500V
ignition coil-----63KV,1ma  off of 14V, 2 amps
Batt--------- can supply up to 120A at 7.2 volts or 14.4V for 5 minutes. Tested by me 



Matt Runhart. Ontario, Canada

thanks in advance
A lot of us have build drivers for ignition coils and I suspect you'll get several responses with circuits or clues as to where to download them. I have one here that uses a 555 timer into a 2N2222 buffer into a HV NPN transistor switch (IGBT worked better by the way). With an Exel coil I've been able to get 4" streamers (only when I use screwdriver or something to attact them) from a coil with a secondary about 3" diameter and 12" long, wound full of #30 wire. Suspect others have done better. If you don't get anything I can try to dig up my schematic and send it. I use 12 volts and for the coil I mentioned the current was about 3 amps.
My experience is that ignition coils have too high impedance to really charge a primary capacitor (I used 0.0047 ufd) very well. 

Ed