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Re: GOT IT!
Tesla List wrote:
>
> Subscriber: knardell-at-mailhost.accesscom-dot-net Sat Jan 18 22:22:47 1997
> Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 02:06:36 -0600
> From: Kevin <knardell-at-mailhost.accesscom-dot-net>
> To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Subject: GOT IT!
>
> >Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 01:58:51 -0600
> >To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> >From: Kevin <knardell-at-mailhost.accesscom-dot-net>
> >Subject: GOT IT!
>
> Eureka!!!!!
>
> I think I am on to something, I made a Mike Hammer gap and I just fired it
> tonight, it worked wonderful!! I got 2 1/2 foot sparks from my coil but they
> came from a single spot on the last air wound part of the secondary. Nothing
> at all came from the 7 inch brass ball I tried to use. The tap was just
> clamped on the 9th turn and must have been perfect because I tried changing
> it and had negative results. For some reason I could not get the brass ball
> to spark however the last wind on top was spectacular, it even lashed out at
> me:)
>
> I tried all my terminals including the doorknob (which was cool) and the
> misfired brass ball was the best.
>
> Sorry, hit the wrong buttonn.
> It seems that everything was almost perfect tonight except the sparks
> breaking out the windings but it was still cool. Would anyone have a
> explanation for this? I did try to re tune but had no results and the ball
> did not spark. BTW the ball produced almost zero RFI in my phone and
> television, there was a wimper here and there when the spark would hit the
> window frame but the phone was in the same room as the coil so I think the
> ball and new gaps solved my RFI problem. I also added a safety gap across
> the neon to try and protect it.
>
> Regards,
> Kevin Nardelle
>
> ********************************************
> * T E S L A C O I L S *
> ********************************************
> Kevin Nardelle knardell-at-accesscom-dot-net
> My main web page IS UP all TESLA
> related with lotsa pictures and links.
> http://www.icorp-dot-net/users/kev/tesla
> http://www.accesscom-dot-net/nardell
> Non related sites I have
> The Louisiana Swamps Online (Under construction)
> http://www.icorp-dot-net/users/kev
> **********************************************
Kevin,
The changes you're making are improving the "Q" of various pieces of the
system, and you're heading in the right direction...
Corona will form on "sharp" areas - the top of your coil presents a much
better opportunity than the ball, so that's why its forming there. The
ball added enough capacitance to make your coil run better, but it isn't
positioned large enough to protect the top of your coil. The
diameter of the termination (whether sphere or toroid) must be
significantly larger (like 2x) than the diameter of the secondary in
order to be effective in shielding the hookup wire or the top of the
coil.
When you get your coil tuned properly, using either a toroid or a larger
sphere positioned low on the top of the coil, it will perform even
better. A properly sized terminal prevents premature breakout, makes the
coil run much better, and shields the top of the coil making it less
likely for corona to form there.
Near-term, lower the ball so that it's just at the top of the coil.
Make sure that the hookup wire is a smooth spiral coil coming to the
bottom of the ball. If necessary, place a small thumbtack on the top of
the ball to aid in getting maximum spark for tuning. Once in-tune,
remove the tack and see if it can now break out from the ball. If not,
you may need to tape a small wire or piece of foil to the ball until
you've reached a sufficient efficiency/power level. Longer term, go for
the toroid. You will probably need to add more tank capacitance to do
this, however...
Safe coilin' to you!
-- Bert --