Flat Style RQ Gaps

To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Flat Style RQ Gaps
From: "Thomas McGahee" <tom_mcgahee-at-sigmais-dot-com> (by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>)
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 17:17:35 -0600
Approved: twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net
Delivered-To: fixup-tesla-at-pupman-dot-com-at-fixme
The RQ spark gap is consists of copper pipes mounted
inside a pvc pipe.

I didn't particularly like several aspects of the
RQ gap, so I made a version of it that does not
mount inside a round pipe. 

You start with a plexiglass/Lexan/polycarbonate
sheet that is at least 1/8th inch thick. Determine
the exact width of your copper pipes and how much
spacing you want between pipes and how many pipes
you want. Determine the length you want your pipes to
be. Using this information lay out on the plexiglass
where you need to place 6/32 size screws to hold the
pipes in place. (screws mount in holes about 3/8"
from the ends of the pipes.)

Mark off a set of lines that are PARALLEL with the
direction of the pipes, and exactly centered between
each set of facing pipes. Mill out these lines so
you have a set of slots running parallel between
each set of pipes. Thes slots should be 1/4" wide
or less.

Mount the pipes DIRECTLY to the plate by using 6/32 x 3/4" screws
and matching hex nuts. The screws are inserted INSIDE the
pipes, through the hole in the pipe, through the
plexiglass, and held on with a hex nut on the other 
side of the plexiglass. You can ensure nice parallel
assembly by placing something as a space between each
set of pipes as you tighten them down. Then remove the
spacer material.

The plastic carrier with the pipes attaced is then mounted
onto a box. Note that the pipes go INSIDE the box! 
The pipes mount FLUSH with the plastic.

The screws stick out OUTSIDE the box. You connect your wires to
two of the protruding screws using spade lugs and a second
set of hex nuts (and lock washers). You can select any number of
spark gap elements to be active by just moving one of
the connections to a different set of pipes.

The box should have a vacuum motor attached to suck the air
INTO the box. The gaps will run quite cool using this method,
so you don't have to worry about the plexiglass melting.
The little parallel slots that we made force the air to
stream through the gaps in an optimal way. But the width
of the slots is not critical. In fact, if you don't have the
equipment to cut slots, then you can fake it and just mount
the ends of the pipes on strips of plexiglass. Make sure you
have side panels that butt up against the outer sides of the
two end pipes, so you don't have lots of air sneaking
in through the outside of the pipes.

ALWAYS turn the vacuum cleaner motor on BEFORE firing the gap!
I use a small variac to adjust the speed of the vacuum motor.
The speed has quite an effect on the spark gap, and the
effect on the streamers from the Tesla coil is quite
pronounced!

If you don't want to use a variac, you might be able to
get a light dimmer device to work with the vacuum
cleaner motor, since these are AC/DC series-wound devices.
I don't know if the surrounding EMI will clobber the 
controller, however. An alternate way of controlling
the suction is to let the motor run full speed, and
have a sliding door mechanism in the side or back that you
can use to allow air to sneak into the box sideways.
Has the advantage of being dirt cheap. And you can always
add a variac later if you want. You can make a "sliding"
door that consists of a covering piece that is
screwed over the opening with just one screw that is
tightened down with just medium pressure. You
just rotate the little covering to let air sneak in.
Simple, but does the job.

I find this flat type of construction easier than the
classic round inside-the-pvc-pipe style of construction.
It makes a very solid performer.

Fr. Tom McGahee
-----Original Message-----
From: Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Date: Monday, April 17, 2000 4:31 PM
Subject: RE: RQ gaps


>Original Poster: "Basura, Brian" <brian.basura-at-unistudios-dot-com> 
>
>Try http://fp2.hughes-dot-net/brianb/static.htm
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Tesla List [mailto:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com]
>Sent: Saturday, April 15, 2000 3:57 PM
>To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
>Subject: RQ gaps
>
>
>Original Poster: ANTarchimedes-at-aol-dot-com 
>
>Does anybody have an idea for a RQ type gap in a different formation?  I
>know 
>that Python4evr (Matt) does, but his idea isn't much less complicated.
>(Sorry 
>Matt... I'm still confused, heh)
>
>Nick Moor
>
>....Still trying to invent the "Gravity powered generator."
>
>