RE: Cheap parts for high-power resistive ballast (for pole transformer). (fwd)

["High Voltage list" <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: <sroys@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>



---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 14 May 2005 22:00:35 -0500
From: Godfrey Loudner <ggreen@xxxxxxxx>
To: 'High Voltage list' <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: RE: Cheap parts for high-power resistive ballast (for pole
    transformer). (fwd)

Hello Aaron

In series, you'll get too much voltage drop. I would try putting some in
parallel for less resistance. But anyway, you'll be expending energy
heating the elements that you would rather see in the arc. I think using
a resistive ballast is unacceptable. You need an inductive ballast at
your desired power level. If you got there, you will need carbon rods
for the arc to climb on. Can you get 125 amperes from your service box?
Anyway, the arcs would be scary!

Godfrey Loudner     

-----Original Message-----
From: High Voltage list [mailto:hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx] 
Sent: Saturday, May 14, 2005 8:40 PM
To: hvlist
Subject: Cheap parts for high-power resistive ballast (for pole
transformer). (fwd)


Original poster: <sroys@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>


[Sorry for the delay in posting.  I was at a meeting where I *thought* I
would have had access to the list, but actually didn't.  SRR]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 8 May 2005 21:16:35 -0700 (PDT)
From: J. Aaron Holmes <jaholmes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Cheap parts for high-power resistive ballast (for pole
transformer).

Howdy, hvlist,

In addition to some Tesla coiling, I'd like to do some ridiculously
high-powered Jacob's laddering :)  I'm shooting for 30kVA.
Unfortunately, I don't feel like investing much (in time or money) in a
big inductive ballast.  Instead, I thought I'd just install six or eight
hot water heater elements in a cheap metal trash can (filled with water,
of course), then use some big relays to put them all in parallel so that
I could fire the thing up with only a single element in line, then bring
the others in one at a time until I'm running at full throttle.  Sound
workable?  I could even install a faucet in the side of the trash can so
that the thing could be made light and portable on short notice (great
for Teslathons).  Now on to the
question:  Is there something cheaper that might
provide the same functionality?  Amazingly, hot water
heater elements appear to be relatively non-cheap. 
I've seen a few tempting bulk lots go by on eBay, but
they were threaded in an odd way that made me suspect
they'd be difficult to work with.

Should I just get a spool of nichrome wire, some
cinder blocks, and a box fan? :))

73,
Aaron, N7OE