Re: I need help with my crappy coil

To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: I need help with my crappy coil
From: "Adam" <adamsmith-at-mediaone-dot-net> (by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>)
Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 17:28:31 -0600
Approved: twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net
Delivered-To: fixup-tesla-at-pupman-dot-com-at-fixme

> I need some help my coil only makes one inch sparks
> 
> Transfomer: an MOT thats current limited to about 0.45 amps by a oven
> heating coil.
> Tank cap: MOT cap-2100 volts .7 microfarad
> Spark gap: single gap 1/16 inch
> Primary: flat spiral 9.5 turns of 0.125 inch copper wire. outside diameter
> is 7.5. and inside diameter is 2.5 inches.
> Secondary: 9 by 1.5 inch secondary on a pvc. Total turns 656

Your coil is crappy because of two things: You've got about 100 times too
much capacitance to tune it.  Try using between 0.005 and 0.01 uF and you'll
get some results.  

Secondly, you need to limit the MOT to less current if you want this system
to work with a static gap. 450mA will make short work of a pair of bolts.
Try 100mA.

-Adam