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To Jason: Best Sparks


From: 	Thomas McGahee[SMTP:tom_mcgahee-at-sigmais-dot-com]
Sent: 	Wednesday, September 17, 1997 9:12 AM
To: 	Tesla List
Subject: 	To Jason: Best Sparks


 
> 
> From: 	Jason Judd[SMTP:Jason.Judd-at-anu.edu.au]
> Sent: 	Tuesday, September 16, 1997 8:33 PM
> To: 	Tesla List
> Subject: 	Re: Peak cap voltage, was 12kV, 30ma TC specs, 42" spark
> 
> 
SNIP
> 
> Malcolm,
> 
> What do you mean what are my transformers designed to survive. How
can I
> tell. I suppose when one fails I am at the limit ;-). They are
rated at
> 15Kv 30Ma each. The peak voltage would be about 21 KV. Are you
telling me
> (or trying to say nicely) that I am headed for trouble on this path
?
> 
> I think that a safer path might be to build more caps and maybe get
another
> couple of transformers so I can run at a lower voltage as Tom
McGahee has
> suggested.
> 
> Also I have noticed that the best sparks from my system occur as
the first
> spark after switch on. Sparks after this are never as long. I would
put
> this down to the gap ,but the spark length drops off by about 20 %
within
> .5 of a second.
> 
> 
> Thanks very much everyone for all the input on this subject.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Jason
> 
> 

Jason,
When you turn on your TC the gap heats up very quickly. You do not
have
a very robust gap system. Try making a vacuum gap. They are
excellent.
You should make the air flow variable either by using a variac to
control the vacuum motor, or a variable damper (just an adjustable
sliding door that allows extra air to sneak in some way other
than through the gaps).

MOST Tesla coils will also give those extra long arcs the *instant*
they
are first turned on. The exact cause is not fully known, but one
factor
in all this is that the system has all components at their COOLEST
at the instant of turn on. In particular, the GAPS have no ionized
air
floating around to cause them to break down too early. So my guess is
that the gap breaks down at a higher than usual voltage, and the gap
quenches excellently the first time or couple of times before heating
within the gap system causes earlier firing and quenching becomes
worse.

Hope this helps.
Fr. Tom McGahee