Re: The weakest link??

["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 3/25/02 10:20:51 AM Eastern Standard Time, tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
writes:


>
> Well if you look at the picture page you can sort of get an idea..
> http://www.jlproduction-dot-com/firstlight.html
> The toroid is 3x14 do I estimate them at about 16 or so.



Jim

16 streamers!   that's quite a few   :)  I use a 3" x 10" spun
toroid and I get no more than 1 or 2 simultaneous streamers.
You may be getting the gas burner effect, which is numerous
short streamers all around the toroid.  Each is feeble and dim.
I didn't look at the photo yet of your coil in operation.

As a general rule, the streamers should be able to go about
10 times the minor toroid dia.  For example a 3" thick toroid
should give a 30" spark.  A 4" thick toroid should give a 40"
spark.  Sometimes the sparks can go further, esp at
higher bps.  Of course you need enough power for any of
this to happen, and good quenching, cooling of gap, etc.

It seems to me

>
> that these are a bit short but there are always several at once in 2 or
> 3 different points along the toroid.



Oh, so there are just 2 or 3 streamers, not 16?


>
> I just bought another 9/30 from a guy on E-bay that was selling one but
> had no bids. I wrote him and asked if he wanted to sell it outright and
> he sold it to me for $20.
> Hopefully now I can use the bigger toroid and get better length but it
> seems that I (like you and others) should be in the 24 inch range AT
> LEAST already but I'm not.
> Ill keep trying different stuff.



Well more power always helps, *if* the gap can quench OK.

Cheers,
JOhn


>
> Thanks,
> Jim
>