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

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

Original poster: <sroys@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>



---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 17 May 2005 07:05:40 -0400
From: Mike <mike.marcum@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: High Voltage list <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: Cheap parts for high-power resistive ballast (for pole
    transformer). (fwd)

You could probably pull the full 200A if you do it at night when demand 
drops for the other houses and you shut off everything else. If I were doing 
something like this I'd just rent a generator and get a bank of parallel 
x-ray trannies for some monster 125kv arcs (much easier to adjust the bottom 
gap when it's 10-12"). Most of the x-ray transformers I've seen are good for 
10 kVA each without them heating too much (37.5 kVA for a few seconds, tho I 
find that hard to believe with the core/coils weighing only 80-100 lbs, 
guess that why they have 30+ gallons of oil).

Mike
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "High Voltage list" <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: "hvlist" <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, May 16, 2005 3:45 PM
Subject: RE: Cheap parts for high-power resistive ballast (for pole 
transformer). (fwd)


> Original poster: <sroys@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Mon, 16 May 2005 10:37:14 -0700 (PDT)
> From: J. Aaron Holmes <jaholmes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: High Voltage list <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: RE: Cheap parts for high-power resistive ballast (for pole
>    transformer). (fwd)
>
>
> The "green box" transformer feeding my house also
> feeds three others and is rated at 50kVA.  My main
> breaker is 200A.  I should be able to get 125A without
> frying anything and without browning out my neighbors,
> provided they're not also playing with pole pigs at
> the same time as I am :D  The rule of thumb for
> transformers around here seems to be #ofhouses x
> 12.5kVA or 15kVA, whichever is largest.  Our
> neighborhood is filled with 25's, 37.5's, and 50's, so
> I guess I'm lucky :)  Out to the east of me in the
> "fringe of civilization", it's not uncommon for one
> house to have its own transformer (typically
> pole-mounted), in which case the transformer is almost
> invariably 15kVA.  That would be a real bummer (for
> me)!
>
> --- High Voltage list <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>> 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
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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