[TCML] Newbe's First Coil

[jimlux]

mddeming at aol.com wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> Welcome Charlie,
> 
> ANY coil that works on the first try IS a success!
> 
> Here are a  few simple suggestions that might improve your results:
> 
> 1) The pizza pan/ cookie tin combo  is a problem. The thin edge of
> the pan, and the sharp edges of the tin allow charge to bleed off,
> reducing peak voltage. The fatter and more rounded edge of a toroid
> allows more charge build-up. A piece of aluminum dryer duct or
> foil-covered Styrofoam doughnut will serve you much better.

A pie pan (or a pair of pie pans, bottom to bottom) serving as the 
center for a dryer duct toroid works pretty well.


> 
> 
> 2) Your spark-gap definitely has heating problems. If you are not yet
> going to use a multi-gap, then at least do the following: (a) Use
> heavier, brass, round-headed bolts or threaded rods with brass balls.
> Brass conducts heat and electricity better than steel, and larger
> terminals mean better heat dissipation. Rounded terminals mean less
> corona loss. (b) Put a fan or other blower on the gap. Hot, ionized
> air in and around the gap causes it to fire sooner preventing full
> charge build-up. (c) Slightly reduce your gap width. 5-6 mm (1/5 to
> 1/4 in.) will prevent a misfire from overvolting your transformer and
> your caps.

A cheap muffin fan (or any fan, for that matter) blowing on a gap made 
of 3 parallel 1" copper pipe couplings (or 2" long pieces of 1" or 3/4" 
pipe) works real well.  Arrange them in a sort of triangle, and you can 
move just the middle one to adjust the gap.



>