Poor Performance Question

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

Original poster: "EMMETT SECREST" <secrest2032-at-msn-dot-com> 

Over the weekend I took my spark gap TC outside for the first time. I was 
disappointed in the performance and am hoping someone on the list could 
offer some suggestions as to the cause of the less than previous output of 
my coil. Always before it produced multiple three to four foot streamers 
but when I set it up outside it produce 12 to 18" streamers and would have 
racing sparks down the secondary. I tried playing with the tuning but it 
did not help. I am of the opinion that the poor output and racing was due 
to a poor ground and windy conditions. I had driven a .5" galvanized pipe 
into the ground about a foot deep and connected to it via a set of 
automotive jumper cables.  All previous runs of the coil have been inside 
and connected to a copper ground rod six feet into the earth and connected 
with six feet of no. 4 copper. Any theories, suggestions, etc. are appreciated.

Emmett