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Re: A figure of merit
> Original Poster: "Kennan C Herrick" <kcha1-at-juno-dot-com>
Hi Kennan, comments below
>
> A while back Gary Johnson asked for reports on solid-state spark length;
> and I responded with a proposal for a figure of merit or "quality"
> measure for Tesla coils: spark length to a grounded point per primary
> volt--for all builders, solid state and "spark". I proposed millimeters
> per volt just to make the number less depressing (25.4 mm are in each and
> every inch!).
>
> But there's been a silence. So I repeat it. How about it, everyone?
> Any interest?
I'm not interested--simply because I don't think length is
all-important. For example--some coils with higher break rates achieve
shorter spark lengths, but the sparks are, by compensation, thick and
powerful. It really depends upon what you like, or rather what you are
aiming for. For example, anyone interested in voice modulation, etc. or the
qualities of a CW coil wouldn't be interested in length--CW by definition has
a different "quality index" than disruptive coils, since the peak power is
less, but the average power is probably greater.
Sure, it might help when surfing someone's web page to see that their
quality index was 3.65--but it smacks a little bit of, ahem. . . self
promotion. I see it this way--when one is posting the characteristics of
ones coil, it is always best to talk about the setup, i.e. what's unusual
about it, what the operating conditions are, etc. Then other coilers can
evaluate for themselves--and tell you what they would do differently.
Unless you were to devise this for your own use--that makes sense. It's
nice to have mathematical means to evaluate performance. But still it
doesn't mean anything unless you've seen someone elses number-- hmmm...
problems, problems, problems. . . I'll be interested to see how you figure
some of them out.
--Mike