Re: Poor Performance Question

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

Original poster: "Harold Weiss" <hweiss-at-new.rr-dot-com> 

Hi Emmett,

Wind can decrease streamer length quite a bit.  I'll send you a couple of
pics off-list.  I had problems with arcing on the downwind side of my coil.
I would guess that it's due to ionized air caught in the turbulance and
being concentrated there causing the problem of arcovers.

David E Weiss

 > 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
 >
 >
 >
 >