RE: First light for my first coil today !

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

Original poster: "Ian McLean" <ianmm-at-optusnet-dot-com.au> 

Brett,

 > Maybe so.  However, I didn't get any corona or
 > "sparkles" on mine.  Although most of the time I have
 > run it as an ACR, and not a main toroid, so I would
 > guess that the presence of the upper toroid sheilds
 > the ACR from the tendancy to produce corona.
 >

I haven't noticed any corona yet myself either.  It just seems like common
practice on coils from medium to large size to include the ACR.  I have also
noticed on Claude's coil that having a larger toroid on top of a smaller
toroid tends to direct the streamers out more horizontally, reducing ground
rail strikes and generally improving the look of the streamer output.

The "crackles/sparkles" all over my temporary toroid are from (from what I
have been told here) the aluminium foil covering - it is a pretty rough job.
If I can improve its smoothness and eliminate the crackles, then my main
streamers should become longer.  Yours looks (from what I can see in the
photo's) MUCH neater and smoother than mine.

Anyhoo, this is just a temporary lash up.  Once made smaller to form a true
ACR, aluminium tape should make the ACR much smoother and neater, and of
course my main toroid will be the ducting - not exactly smooth - but at
least uniform corrugations.

PS: Installed my RF ground network this morning.  With a small sledge
hammer, I pounded two 6 foot copper clad steel ground rods into the ground
all but 1 inch to secure the brass clamps.  They are about 1 foot forward of
my back fence and about 6 feet apart.  Will do another test this afternoon
with the proper RF ground setup.  Must remember to tell the lawn mowing guys
about the rods so they don't accidentally rip the blades off their mowers
going over the ground rods :-)

Rgs
Ian

 > -----Original Message-----
 > From: Tesla list [mailto:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com]
 > Sent: Sunday, 1 February 2004 11:56 am
 > To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
 > Subject: RE: First light for my first coil today !
 >
 >
 > Original poster: Brett Miller <brmtesla2-at-yahoo-dot-com>
 >
 >
 > Ian,
 >
 > --- Tesla list <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com> wrote:
 >  > Original poster: "Ian McLean"
 >  > <ianmm-at-optusnet-dot-com.au>
 >  >
 >  > Hi Brett,
 >  >
 >  > It's kinda funny you mentioning this, because I had
 >  > the same idea ;)  After
 >  > I made the toroid, I thought, "Hey, if this was a
 >  > little smaller, it would
 >  > make an ideal anti-corona ring".  Once I make my
 >  > proper toroid, I think I
 >  > will do this, except wrap it up with aluminium tape
 >  > instead of foil so it
 >  > comes out neater.  I guess great minds think alike
 >  > ...
 >
 > Maybe so.  However, I didn't get any corona or
 > "sparkles" on mine.  Although most of the time I have
 > run it as an ACR, and not a main toroid, so I would
 > guess that the presence of the upper toroid sheilds
 > the ACR from the tendancy to produce corona.
 >
 > I was forced to run this "noodle" as a solo topload a
 > couple weeks ago.  A friend who is planning on
 > constructing a 3.5" TC brought a 15/30 NST which we
 > decided to try out using half my MMC and the noodle as
 > a topload.  Unfortunately we weren't able to retune
 > with the other toroid because I didn't have enough
 > primary turns.  I need to take another look at that
 > video and see if there was anything like you
 > described.
 >
 > -Brett
 >
 >  >
 >  > Rgs
 >  > Ian
 >  >
 > <SNIP>
 >
 >