[TCML] PFC Question (again)

[bartb]

Hi John,

Yes, I agree. My ballast toroidal core is slotted. This was certainly 
needed and something I did 10 years ago. It's a 28A Powerstat, but it's 
easy to go beyond it's capabilities even with a slotted core. These 
days, I just have a feel for it more than anything else. Kind of why I 
would like to build a homemade ballast similar to Richie's which is 
capable of 40A.

Take care,
Bart
>
> In one test I ran a PT powered 600 watt ballasted 120 bps coil.   Using
> my homemade ballast the coil drew 600 watts, but using a 20  amp
> variac as a ballast, the coil drew 1200 watts.  That's when Dr.  Resonance
> suggested cutting a slot in the variac to prevent saturation of the  core.
> I think with STR operation the slotting may not quite as  important?  It
> may be very important at 120 bps.  (I'm not sure if every 120 bps  coil will
> behave the same in this sense.)  Slotting seemed to be very  much needed
> because only a few turns of the  variac were needed at 120 bps.  
>  
> Cheers,
> John
>   
>