RE: Some newbie questions

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

Original poster: "Lau, Gary" <gary.lau-at-hp-dot-com> 

 >Original poster: "Aaron Aab" <striker754-at-earthlink-dot-net>
 >
 >Would I need to use the baffles if i have the top wire outside the tube and
 >the ground wire inside the tube? Not that its a big deal to put the baffles
 >in, jsut wondering.

If you plan to have an endcap on the top with a bolt through the center 
tied to the wire from the outside, that still puts HV inside the endcap at 
the bolt head.  I don't know if the hazard still exists or if it only 
exists if there is a hole at the end of the winding going inward, but I 
like the idea of baffles.

 >So Im connecting the caps for protection from the case of the transformer to
 >the hot terminals, and the resistors from the hot terminals to the spark
 >gap?

Exactly.

 >Do regular bolts suffice for a spark gap?

It will work, but not nearly as well as other configurations.  With bolt 
heads, the arc will occur at a single point on the bolt heads, and there 
will be localized heating, leading to poor performance.  Using a pair of 
parallel copper pipes, the arcing will occur along the length of the pipes, 
so no one point gets hot.  Airflow from a fan focused on the arc will also 
improve performance.  Higher powers benefit from more airflow, and my 
sucker gap is a good performer: http://www.laushaus-dot-com/tesla/onegap.htm

 >I'm thinking about using MOT power for the low cost and big power. Anyone
 >have some good info on those? I think it was your site, Gary, that I looked
 >at that had some good info.

I have no experience with MOTs, I think it may be Greg Hunter's site at 
http://hot-streamer-dot-com/greg/

 >Aaron

Regards, Gary Lau
MA, USA