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Raise the Secondary?


----Original Message-----
From: terryf-at-verinet-dot-com <terryf-at-verinet-dot-com>
To: Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Date: Wednesday, July 01, 1998 1:28 PM
Subject: Raise the Secondary?

I just have to add my 2 cents worth. :-))

        I also believe that being able to carefully adjust the coupling
coefficient is very important.  We are unable to predict when the proper
quench point will occur without actual testing at this time.  My tests
suggest that tuning the coupling is just as important as tuning Fo.  I feel
John's program should give more consideration to coupling as I have
mentioned before.
        One area that computer modeling can really improve is in the primary
circuit design.  I have found that just wiring together a neon with a few
chokes without careful consideration can destroy the neon and other
components as well as waste power.  I am now working on designs that can
greatly improve energy transfer and double the primary energy.  The neon and
other components are operated within their specifications at all times so
they should never fail.  Unfortunately, wiring these high performance
circuits together using trial and error techniques would be disastrous.
These very high performance charging networks need to be designed on a
computer first.  The networks are well beyond any hand calculation methods.
Also, fault conditions can be modeled to find ways to protect the circuits
without the need for messy trial and error methods.  One would not want to
design for secondary strikes to the primary circuits on anything other than
a computer.
        We need help of both hands on and computer people to design coils.
If one just does computer simulations without any real data to keep them on
track, they will end up with useless data.  Likewise, if one ignores the
data the computer simulations show, you may miss out on more power and blow
all your stuff up when it isn't necessary.  One advantage of John's program
is that people just starting out can be guided away from doing anything
terribly wrong and they can get a feel for what is going on by using the
program (There are other programs around too.  I don't mean to mention just
John's program.  John does that just fine all by himself :-))).
        We need all kinds of people doing their own things to really make
the best coils.  None of us can work in a vacuum without all kinds of
different outside ideas and information and still be able to build truly
great coils.  For many that cannot build their own real coils, the computer
still allows them to build virtual coils that can be every bit as
interesting and important as a real coil.  There are many that have never
touched a computer (we never here from them :-)) who do just fine with their
"seat of the pants" coils too.  However, to really bring it all together and
make a super coil takes someone who can collect and use all the available
information.


        Terry Fritz


At 11:01 PM 6/30/98 -0500, you wrote:
>
>----------
>From:  Edward J. Wingate [SMTP:ewing7-at-frontiernet-dot-net]
>Sent:  Tuesday, June 30, 1998 9:19 AM
>To:  Tesla List
>Cc:  stcole-at-deltanet-dot-com
>Subject:  Re: How to rise the secondary?
>
>Tesla List wrote:
>>
>> ----------
>> From:  John H. Couture [SMTP:couturejh-at-worldnet.att-dot-net]
>> Sent:  Sunday, June 28, 1998 12:23 PM
>> To:  Tesla List
>> Subject:  Re: How to rise the secondary?
>>
>>   Ed, All -
>>
>>   What are the advantages of raising the secondary? This will change the
>> coupling and tuning but that can be done by proper design of the primary.
Or
>> have you found other reasons for raising the secondary?
>>
>>   I would expect that moving the secondary away from the primary would
>> reduce the spark output.
>>
>>   John Couture
>>
>
>John,
>
>I >>ALWAYS<< deliberately build my coils so they are overcoupled from
>the start and then use spacers to raise the secondary in 1/4" increments
>until the telltale signs of overcoupling disappear. That way, I know
>that the coil is properly coupled for maximum performance! You can't
>fine tune a Tesla coil system on a computer. I want to SEE and FEEL what
>the REAL hardware is doing when I tune a coil and a computer program is
>NOT real hardware! One can tweek and tune with a computer program and be
>a keyboard coiler for as long as one likes, but there is no substitute
>for real capacitors, wire, transformers, spark gaps, etc. The real test
>is hands on building and tuning experience with real Tesla coils and
>equipment. You have to get your hands dirty John! Only then has the
>Tesla coiler come home.
>
>With dirty hands in N.Y.
>
>Ed Wingate
>
>