Re: TSG update

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <FutureT-at-aol-dot-com>

In a message dated 12/3/01 10:14:58 AM Eastern Standard Time, tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
writes:


>
> John,
> Are you seeing any erosion of your silver faces? The reason i went right
> to carbide after first try is that the gaps arc looked discolored,
> contaminated. (brass).  



Marc,

I think the silver is NG in this case.  The surfaces are pitted and
blackened, so I'll try using the carbide I got from you.  I had good
results with silver at lower powers, but this may be too much power 
for the silver.

what is the air speed\voluum at your gap? would

I'm just using a small house fan, I dont have speed/volume specs.

>
> a rotary of 120rpm give a non sputtering output?



120rpm.... hmmm, not sure how that would work.  

>
> I feel that as long as my arc is a true blue\white hot, then it is a
> pure arc? It surprises me that at only 800 watts you are thinking it is
> overpowered, I have pushed a steady 3000+ watt through carbide tips with
> a very nice blue\white arc, 



You probably had more airflow than what I'm using.  I suspected that
the silver may not be the best, and the carbide (or something) may
be needed, so I'll try that. 

the erratic operation at the extremes in

>
> dimmer adjustment are either giving a "very" short burst of low voltage,
> or a full voltage across the sine wave until zero crossing? first case:
> not much to get it going, second case: not much time to remove ions.
> Another question:
> Are you using the lines voltage to the diac\triac pair after the variac?



The TSG controller is not running off of a variac, it's plugged straight
into the wall.  But the coil is running on a variac. 


>
> Maybe the stsg just isn't for every coil design?



It may help a lot to use the carbide.  I still have to do more work
to get it running correctly, and overcome the phase range
limitation.  I'll probably build the Jon Tebbs circuit.  The STSG
definitely holds an importance place in the Tesla coil world.  I may
even build a Gary Lau vortex gap and put the trigger onto it as
Weazle has done.  It would be interesting too to see how my
TT-42 performs with the vortex gap alone without the trigger.

John


>
> Marc M.
>
>