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Tesla Coil Photos




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From:  Rscopper-at-aol-dot-com [SMTP:Rscopper-at-aol-dot-com]
Sent:  Saturday, February 07, 1998 8:59 AM
To:  tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject:  Re: Tesla Coil Photos

My best photos were taken as follows:

1) Set a coffee can or bucket on the ground a few feet away from the coil and
put a narrow beam flashlight (maglight) pointing so that the beam lights up
the secondary just below the toroid.

2) Set up the camera on a tripod out of range of the magnetic field.

3)  My best results were using ASA100 speed.

4)  Rig the camera with a shutter switch that won't vibrate the camera.  I
soldered some 40AWG to the button contacts and ran a remote switch out to the
coil control pannel.

5)  Here's the good part. Set the shutter for B or so that it stays open the
whole time the switch is pressed.  Then set the F-stop for about 2.8.  Press
the switch and hold for 1-3 seconds to get a good image of the secondary, and
then turn on the coil while still holding down the switch.  The longer you
hold the switch, the more sparks you will capture.  This way you can still get
a good view of the secondary even if you only want to capture one long spark.

Good luck,

R. Scott Coppersmith