Re: [TCML] the REAL first light

["David Rieben" <drieben@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Marko,

Regarding your conversation with Ed about hooking up a 120/18 volt trans-
fromer backwards to get 800 volts out of the 120 volt winding:

> Ed answered:
>If you mean connect the 18 volt winding to 120 volts the answer will be
> instant smoke!!!  The transformer core will >saturate and draw very high 
> currents, either blowing a breaker or burning up the winding.

> A current limiting resistor in series with the 18v winding and 120 v 
> should work, right?
> My question was how would one interpret the current reading when testing 
> capacitors as Dr. Resonance suggested.

Ed is correct, this will not work. If you place a current limiting resistor
in series with the 120 volts applied to the 18 volt side, then you must also
account for the voltage drop of the ballasting resistor and you would still
not get your desired 800 volts out. It seems to me that the simple way to
go about setting up Dr Resonance's capacitor test would be to take the
power transformer (and the HV diode) from the "guts" of a microwave
oven. These transformers are generally rated for around 2000 volts AC
output at several hundred milliamps and you will already have the needed
diode to make it DC for charging and testing capacitors. If you can't locate
a microwave on one of your neighbors' curb sides for garbage pick-up,
try looking in the classifieds of your local newspaper or hit a neighborhood
yard sale. You can probably locate a functional old-style microwave oven
for just a few dollars this way. Just be careful as a microwave oven trans-
former (MOT) can supply more than enough of a voltage/current combina-
tion to "put out your lights", as in permanently!

Hope this helps,
David Rieben

PS: Congrats on your "second" first light and it definitely appears that 
your
snubber caps aren't up to the challenge.


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