[TCML] First light but something's still not quite right

[DC Cox]

What is your xmfr Erms potential?

How many caps do you have in EACH series string?

Dr. Resonance





On Thu, Apr 10, 2008 at 2:03 PM, Andrew Nettles <anettles at hotmail.com>
wrote:

> I got my 6" coil to fire up yesterday and although I was glad it worked
> the first try, I'm still having a problem.
>
> It only ran for a few seconds and then quit.  I had noticed before when
> messing with the safety gap that the GTO wire still leaked a bit even though
> it was rated for 15kv and that's what my transformer is rated.  So I made
> sure there was adequate spacing between those wires and the grounds and then
> it worked again.....for a few seconds.  The variac & nst test fine.
>
> I went to set the safety again and disconnected the tank circuit but
> didn't disconnect the rest of the filter.  As soon as the safety stopped
> firing, I'd get a nasty hot arc between the two rows of capacitors in the
> Terry filter.  So after bonking myself in the head, I isolated the safety
> gap and set it.  At one setting I would plug it in and it wouldn't fire 3
> out of 4 times and then I'd get a big arc - not the two little ones between
> the gaps.  I backed it out a little more until I could plug it in repeatedly
> and not get that.
>
> So I have the wires separated, safety gap set properly...but it still
> stopped working.  It seems like the hv is getting shorted to ground but I
> can't see what I've done wrong.  Could it be a problem with the terry
> filter?  The two rows of caps are separated by about 1-1/2 inches of
> space....I'm wondering if that's adequate or if that's the problem.   I've
> ground every solder joint down so there's no sharp edges.
>
> My rotary gap seems to be set close enough to work, but I can't get the
> coil to run long enough to tune the tap or play with the motor phase.
>
> I'd be grateful for some input.  And BTW thank you to all the people on
> this list who helped me when I needed it - I'm just about there.
>
> - Andrew Nettles, Fort
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