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RE: [TCML] Off Grid Tesla Coil (sort of)



Michael,
Thanks for getting back to me. Small world, isn't it.

Like many projects I have, this will take some time while I ponder things. I
do much of my design in my head slowly in order to think things through. 

Since a car battery can deliver 200 amps or so cranking for short periods, a
120 VDC - 200 A supply is 24 KW. This is a bit more than you would want to
draw from the grid at home. But, it could be done. I like the portable
nature of batteries (if you consider 10 car batteries portable). I am not
aware of many solid state devices that can handle that kind of power but
tubes can. Or, one could do it "the old way" and chop the 120 VDC at a 60Hz
rate to create your own supply.

Another idea is a 30 KW genset. A bit of money but it would work. I like the
genset idea - not only do you get the ozone but it mixes nicely with the
smell of diesel.

I don't get on 2M much -- same old QSO, different day. However, we could
setup a sched on simplex. What is your schedule? I am pretty flexible most
evenings. Do you do HF? (Didn't check your ticket).

73 & Stay Vertical,

Jim Harvey (W7YV) - The Great Curmudgeon
P.O. Box 18009
Salt Lake City, UT 84118
http://www.harveyclan.net
http://www.harveyclan.net/w7yv.htm

FIST # 13337
SKCC # 3194

"Calling CQ was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna
get." 
 

-----Original Message-----
From: tesla-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tesla-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Michael Robinson
Sent: Tuesday, February 24, 2009 2:20 PM
To: Tesla Coil Mailing List
Subject: Re: [TCML] Off Grid Tesla Coil (sort of)

Hi Jim,
Looks like you finally joined the TCML!

The most feasible solution that I can think of is to build a solid state
coil. Use 10 batteries in series to give 120v to drive some big FETs or
IGBTs, and you could probably get a good coil running.

Write back to me and lets get on the radio again. I'd love to help you with
this.

Thanks,
Michael Robinson - KE7AQL

On Tue, Feb 24, 2009 at 8:53 AM, Jim Harvey (UDN)
<harvey.james@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Greetings,
> I am new to this list. I am a semi-retired EE now doing transmitter 
> design of replica 20s and 30s gear (for fun)
>
> I've wondered the following:
>
> Has anyone built a Tesla coil powered by a large bank of batteries 
> (say 10 car batteries)? You can pull huge amounts of current from the 
> stack and recharge them off the grid over a longer period of time. In 
> that way, you don't hammer the AC power line while making lightning.
>
> Several years ago, I participated in the development of an x-ray 
> generator (about 15 KW) that did exactly that. Supply output to the 
> x-ray tube was 100 to 150 KV at 100 to 150 mA. The result was a 
> portable x-ray machine in a hospital that wasn't tied to a 240 VAC line.
Just plug it in over night.
> Worked great.
>
> Thoughts, suggestions, criticisms, are appreciated.
>
> 73 & Stay Vertical,
>
> Jim Harvey (W7YV) - The Great Curmudgeon P.O. Box 18009 Salt Lake 
> City, UT 84118 http://www.harveyclan.net 
> http://www.harveyclan.net/w7yv.htm
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Tesla mailing list
> Tesla@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> http://www.pupman.com/mailman/listinfo/tesla
>
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