Re: Scopes Away! - mosfet

To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: Scopes Away! - mosfet
From: Malcolm Watts <MALCOLM-at-directorate.wnp.ac.nz>
Date: Mon, 16 Sep 1996 08:03:42 +1200
Hi guys,
          I suspect my comments may have been misconstrued. You guys 
wrote...

> > If you can show me the wiring diagram I will built and test it!
> > Yes, as we know, the gap is the Q killer. But there is no other
> > ~cheap-easy~ way to switch spark gap type energies in a circuit.
> > 
> > Richard Quick
> > 
> > ... If all else fails... Throw another megavolt across it!
> > ___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.12
> 
> 
> I gotta' chime here, too.  The mosfet would be the ideal switch if it 
> could just handle 22,000 volts and 600 amps of current at the same time, 
> the way the spark gap has since 1880!  I love the fact that low voltage 
> FETS are gettin down to .01 ohm Rds.  IGBT's are looking real good too, 
> but 2500 volts is max and you can't get 'em!  I am dinkin' around with H2 
> Thyratrons in an effort to work with variable dwells that give a large 
> range of adjustments.  When all the smoke clears and theoretical stuff is 
> pushed asside, when the wishes, hopes, and dreams for the future are 
> relegated to that future,  FETs, IGBTs and all the other stuff of this 
> century is pretty pathetic when it comes to big power at high voltages.  
> The voilence contained a flaming air arc is still the best, low cost, 
> power switch on the planet over 2500 volts and 600 amps.
> 
> Richard Hull

I'm not proposing to use MOSFETs at any real power. I am using them
to replace the gap in some low power experiments to gain a better
understanding of the limitations of systems and techniques currently
in use. It is vital I have this knowledge for a future project that
might indeed enable me to replace the gap with something more 
civilised (not thyratrons). I also want to see what the tradeoffs 
are between k and Qp.
     In talking about established records, I was not denigrating
Richard's 10X which is stunning by any standards, but length vs power.
Perhaps one of you can confirm or refute that a 2-coil system run
at the same k as the driver in a magnifier (same resonator) scores
the same length for the same power input?

Thanks,
Malcolm