Re: why? chilled spark gap tips gives more spark?

[Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>]

Hi James,

	 A very interesting experiment!  Quenching or extingusihing the gap at
just the right time is really important for static gaps.  Normaly a static
gap will fill with hot gases and metal ions that will hurt quenching.
Cooling the gap whould tend to resist this problem at least until it
reheated.  I think that is what is going on in your test.

	Perhaps something like a dry-ice (cold but won't explode :-)) gap would be
interesting too...

Cheers,

	Terry



At 05:54 PM 7/21/00 -0400, you wrote:
>I recently chilled my spark gap tips with with a butane gum remover DO  NOT 
>do this unless you have a fan to get rid of the butane gas or don't feel the 
>need for hair on your arms or face (it is highly flammable as I am sure you 
>know) any way for about 5 seconds when the coil is running before the tips 
>heat themselves back up again I get about 20-25 percent longer streamers from 
>the torrid which is the head of a dart ( have a rather small (TC) about a 
>foot tall but anyway I thought it a bit odd anyhelp would be greatly 
>appreciated. thanks -James
>