[TCML] Spark Length Measurement Techniques

[bartb]

Hi Dave,

Yep, I know of this technique. Here's a question for you:
Did you guys run the coil at the same power removing all the 
"in-between" nails?
Did you hit the last nail in that mode?

I know your post is regarding a "visual spark tuning method", but I'm 
just curious for reasons regarding some past threads years ago.

Take care,
Bart

Dave Leddon wrote:
> Here's a scheme that I use to tune a coil to it's maximum spark length 
> which also yields an accurate measure the length achieved.  I tape a 
> nylon weed-wacker line to the toroid and attach the opposite end to a 
> vertical support about 20 feet from the coil.  Suspended from the line 
> are about 20 movable wooden dowels each pierced by small nails at the 
> lower end with the nail furthest from the coil being grounded.  An arc 
> from a breakout point on the toroid will jump from nail to nail to 
> reach ground and so you just keep increasing the dowel spacing an 
> readjusting the coil until the arc cannot reliable span the distance.  
> Once the coil is tuned to achieve a maximum spark length, all one has 
> to do is measure the span and subtract the total length of the nails.
>
> Here's a picture this setup taken at Greg Leyh's Nevada Lightning 
> Laboratory last summer:
> http://www.teslacoiling.com/firingthegap.jpg
>
> Dave