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Re: Two-step Tesla coil???



>>Why are single-step coils used? (I mean, besides the neon transformer).  For
>>example: Suppose you start in making your T. coil with a 10Kv Neon
>>transformer.  You then make a spark gap, etc. and a coil with a 20:2000
>> (100 X) ratio.  Why not, say, make a 20:200 (10 X) coil and then take the
>>secondary voltage off of that to another 20:200 (10 X) coil?  You would use
>>far less wire, and still end up with that total of 100 X from your 10Kv
>>transformer.  Is this just a stupid idea, or does it have some practical
value?
>>Thanks
>>
>
>Yes, adding a second coil will work in theory. But I've believe that
>the major problem with this is the volts per turn.  If you get
>too many volts per turn of wire, your wire is going to arc between the turns,
>thus shorting out your coil!

HMM......  I don't want anyone to think a Tesla coil works on the turns ratio
principal that a normal transformer works on.  It doesn't.

A Tesla coil works on the principal of circuit resonance and RF generation
caused by this ( I risk oversimplification here, but I want to keep it short).
A primary tank circuit has a certain amount of capacitance and inductance.  This
has a natural resonant frequency, in the RF band.  The circuit is excited by a
spark gap and High Voltage pulsing, many times per second.  This causes the the
primary to "ring" at its resonant frequency at high energy.  A field is
generated which excites the secondary, which happens to resonate at the same
frequency as the primary.  The secondary then produces a very high potential in
the RF band.  And, viola!  Big sparks.

This is a gross over simplification, so don't flame me too bad guys.  I just
wanted to point out that a Tesla coil is not a turns ratio transformer.  When I
read the message above, I thought a new subscriber reading it might be mislead.

So basically, all the talk about a 100X ratio and using more or less wire is
"out the window".

Scott Myers