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[TCML] Experiment to measure effects of RF grounding



Well, having just tried it, maybe there is some element of rocket science involved in scoping mains hash.  I have a fancy Tektronix TDS-series digital scope, and a variety of Tek probes.  Even with the shortest probe, with no wires connected to the tip of the probe, and the probe ground clip tied just to the tip of the probe, just running my coil near the scope or probe provides a nice display of the bang events rather than a flat line.  Unless I can get a scope probe to accurately read zero with the input shorted, it would be futile to try to measure line hash.  Comments and suggestions welcome!

I still plan to document any correlation in streamer length to various grounding schemes, but I was hoping to do the hash measurements at the same time.

Regards, Gary Lau
MA, USA

> -----Original Message-----
> From: tesla-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tesla-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On
> Behalf Of Lau, Gary
> Sent: Thursday, March 06, 2008 2:23 PM
> To: Tesla Coil Mailing List
> Subject: RE: [TCML] RF Ground and Brass
>
> Perhaps it's not really rocket science to gauge the peak magnitude of mains hash.
> I'll also try employing a simple R-C high-pass filter between my mains wires and a
> large counterpoise reference ground plate (sheet of Al foil) on my concrete
> basement floor, and seeing at what input level my scope triggers at, with the
> various secondary grounding schemes.
>
> Gary Lau
> MA, USA
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: tesla-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tesla-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On
> > Behalf Of Lau, Gary
> > Sent: Thursday, March 06, 2008 1:07 PM
> > To: Tesla Coil Mailing List
> > Subject: RE: [TCML] RF Ground and Brass
> >
> > You have inspired me to do some experiments.  With my 4/20 NST-powered mini
> > coil, I'll try various secondary base connections, ranging from no connection (if it
> > doesn't arc), to a long and lazy piece of #42AWG lying insulated above the
> > basement floor, to a copper ribbon tied to the water main in my basement.  I'll
> > report maximum spark length; unfortunately I have no means to gauge mains
> hash.
> > This will be interesting - I don't recall ever hearing of such an experiment!!
>
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