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 09:33:48 -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)


I've done the "two 500-ft rolls" trick for a while now
to get nice 10kVA arcs, but I've got a 15kVA pig and
I'm picking up a 50kVA one next month, so I want
more!!! :D  The spools do heat up after a minute or
two, though; not surprising because they're
dissipating 2.4kW of power (1.5 ohms DC resistance at
around 40A). It's also amusing to "plug them in" by
themselves (no pig in series) and listen to them buzz
ominously :)  The power factor of my house must be
awful these days :D  Unfortunately, just throwing the
switch on this arrangement is probably quite hard on
the insulation of the pig, and also makes the lights
dim throughout my house (I have an oil-immersed 200A
contactor).  It would probably be better to step
things up slowly, and 10kVA increments are probably
too coarse, particularly when the ballast is primarily
inductive.  I could use many such spools in various
series/parallel arrangements with relays, though. 
...but these spools are more expensive than MOTs on
eBay, lest we forget why I originally posted this
query:  Because I'm cheap :D

73,
Aaron, N7OE

--- High Voltage list <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Original poster: <sroys@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> 
> 
> 
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Mon, 16 May 2005 21:53:07 -0700
> From: Jim Mora <jmora@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: 'High Voltage list' <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: RE: Cheap parts for high-power resistive
> ballast (for pole
>     transformer). (fwd)
> 
> I have seen several posts of using one or two 500
> foot rolls (on their
> original spools) of #12awg in series with one leg on
> the Tesla list. You may
> need to add resistance @30KVA!
> Regards
> Jim Mora
> Ojai,Ca US
> -----Original Message-----
> From: High Voltage list [mailto:hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx] 
> Sent: Sunday, May 15, 2005 7:35 PM
> To: hvlist
> Subject: Re: Cheap parts for high-power resistive
> ballast (for pole
> transformer). (fwd)
> 
> Original poster: <sroys@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> 
> 
> 
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Sun, 15 May 2005 10:37:37 +0100
> From: Mike Harrison <mike@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: High Voltage list <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re: Cheap parts for high-power resistive
> ballast (for pole
>     transformer). (fwd)
> 
> On Sat, 14 May 2005 19:40:29 -0600 (MDT), you wrote:
> 
> >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? :))
> 
> Electric shower elements would be another
> possibility, with a little
> plumbing, a small pump and
> radiator/fan you could avoid the need for the big
> trash can and water
> supply.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>