Re: Noisy Gaps x2 RE: Halloween Coiling and the FCC

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

Original poster: "Christopher Boden by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <chrisboden-at-hotmail-dot-com>

As far as a Faraday Cage over a gap, the wires leading to the gap would make 
it a moot point.

As far as noise, AS-400 Mainframe racks make crackin' good gap housings. 
They're thick (thick enough to contain our SRSG in the event of a 
catastrophic failure), and also lined with a sound absorbing foam. They have 
the added benifit of acting as light shielding. This is why we use one for 
this purpose. The only downside is that you're 30lbs SRSG just became a 
900lbs SRSG module :)

In my experiance, our SRSGs are quieter than the blower static gap. And the 
noisest gap that I've ever seen is Jim Bultman's blower gap. It runs on a 
leaf blower and is exceedingly loud.



>Original poster: "Ken Stevens by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" 
><bluewaterdiver-at-earthlink-dot-net>
>
>If most of the "noise" is coming from the gap, has anyone done any
>significant looks into a Faraday cage, or metal enclosure, over the gap?
>
>And with that, what has anyone found to be the least obnoxious (read
>quietest) type of gap? Enclosed or Open? Static or RSG? What???
>
>I live in an up-scale part of town and radio noise aside, most everyone
>has cable or dishes, the audible noise is sure to annoy a couple of
>neighbors.
>
>Anyone had to deal with unreasonable neighbors and what steps solved the
>problems. It's not a problem yet, as I'm still under construction, but
>I'm sure it will be.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Ken
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Tesla list [mailto:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com]
>Sent: Thursday, October 03, 2002 11:46 AM
>To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
>Subject: Re: Halloween Coiling and the FCC
>
>Original poster: "Winston Krutsch by way of Terry Fritz
><twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <u236-at-earthlink-dot-net>
>
>Hi Dan, All,
>
>	This sounds bad, since I have an airport about 4 miles from my
>house...  But, is the LF radiation from the coil of much concern to the
>airport?  I think some navigation beacons run at low frequency, but
>maybe I'm wrong?
>
>	I think the parasitic oscillations in the tank circuit that run
>into
>the multi-MHz and 100 MHz range are of more concern, since they are in
>communications bands (I think).  Has anyone detected these VHF range
>signals at any significant distance from a running coil?  I know much of
>the VHF hash comes from the sparkgap itself.  The same interference is
>caused by electric drills, saws, and other devices with brush-type
>motors, and people don't usually don't care about it.  Also, I don't
>think that airports have much of a problem with it.
>
>	I'm just wondering if my situation really warrants caution from
>a
>radiated RF standpoint.  I run my coil outside often, and even with a
>crummy RF ground, and no line filters, my mother reports only minor TV
>interference (when the coil is in tune).  When out of tune, the TV
>wasn't watchable :-0.
>
>Thanks,
>Winston K.
>
>Tesla list wrote:
> >
> > Original poster: "by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
><dhmccauley-at-spacecatlighting-dot-com>
> >
> > I know a lot of people here claim that tesla coils are quite "lousy"
>at
> > being antennas and all that, but they throw a whole huge amount of RF
>hash
> > out in the atmosphere especially when run outside.  Especially in a
>very
> > urbanized area, you may attract the attention of other "listens"
>especially
> > if near an airport, etc...
> >
> > My very good friend Lou, a seasoned ham operator, made a bet with me.
>He
> > claimed he could hear my tesla coil with his antennas at 20 miles away
> > during operation.  Since "the group" here previously claimed that
>tesla
> > coils were lousy radiators, i figured i had that bet won.  Anyways, i
>set my
> > coil up outside and he and my friend were at his house where all his
>ham
> > equipment was set-up.  We then synchronized our watches and he
>informed me
> > to key at random 3 short pulses.  This was accomplished by quickly
>turning
> > off power to my 15kv/60mA NST.  He then told me to do this at random
> > intervals for the next half hour and that he would record the exact
>time he
> > received them.
> >
> > Well, sure enough he got almost all the transmissions.  He also picked
>up to
> > the 3rd harmonics of the signal as well which were much fainter no
>less, but
> > still detectable.
> >
> > We then reversed roles and repeated the experiment.  Voila.  Same
>results.
> > And it was blatantly obvious when that thing was on.
> >
> > I never would have thought it could be such an efficient radiator!!!!
>I'm
> > convinced now!!!!
> >
> > HOWEVER, it still wouldn't stop me from firing my coil up outside.
>I'm
> > going to do the same.  Of course, halloween is the perfect excuse to
>run the
> > coil outside!!!!
> >
> > Dan
> >





Christopher "Duck" Boden Geek#1
President / C.E.O. / Alpha Geek
The Geek Group
www.thegeekgroup-dot-org
Because the Geek shall inherit the Earth!

"He had that rare weird electricity about him--that
extremely wild and heavy presence that you only see in
a person who has abandoned all hope of ever behaving
normally." --Hunter S. Thompson