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Re: Capacitor Help



Original poster: "MalcolmTesla" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, December 19, 2005 5:54 PM


> Original poster: Terry Fritz <vardin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
> Hi,At 02:23 PM 12/19/2005, you wrote:
>
> >Well while I was waiting around wondering what to do I removed 2" from
the
> >primary so I now have 18" of windings.  It seemed to help some.  However
the
> >safety gap was going off like crazy (intermittently).  We started running
it
> >for 5 to 10 seconds at a time probably for a minute or two with a few
> >seconds break inbetween and boom a capacitor went.
>
> If it is not in tune, all kind of wild and crazy things go on!!!
>
> >I think it may have just
> >arc'd out to the resister across it as they resister was totally
annihilated
> >and all that was left was two terminals where the resister used to be.  I
> >powered off the unit and touched the other caps and they were about room
> >temperature.  I'm not even sure I'd call them luke warm.
>
> Cool!!!  Probably a "weak" resistor :D  Just slap in a new resistor
> and go on...  I have not really heard of one failing like that
> before.  But the resistors have a very robust history, so I would
> first think it was damaged or something.  It is unlikely that the
> caps themselves would have been damaged.  If it happens again,
> replace the cap and send the old one to me so I can see what was wrong!

I think I'll be replacing the cap anyway.  It looks all black and burnt like
the resistor and cap went at the same time.  I'm not sure?  I'll be doing
that later today.  I'll see if I can snap a pic or two for you.

> >Oh and this whole time we're only getting about 5 ~ 6" sparks and the tap
is
> >on turn 14 and a half.  If I move it in the sparks go away.  Oh and
another
> >point of interest is the safety gap makes a LOT more noise when it arcs
than
> >the regular spark gap.  Not sure if this is normal or just because I used
> >tiny thin bolts on brackets for the safety gap and 1/2" bolts for the
> >regular gap?
>
> It sounds like you need more primary turns...  I think you have run
> out of room now for more turns, so consider this special fix :D
>
> http://hot-streamer.com/temp/OffAxisPrimaryInductanceFixerUpperThing.JPG

I will consider that fix :) although I think I can squeeze in one, maybe one
and a half more turns.  If that doesn't do it I'll make that
FixerUpperThing.jpg

> >Another interesting thing is when the safety gap fires we get stronger,
> >brighter sparks off the torid as though the regular spark gap is not
doing a
> >very good job.
>
> That is sort of worrysome...  Extra double check the main gap!!  the
> two bolts are not known for being trouble free...  Might consider a
> bunch of pipe section like this:
>
> http://hot-streamer.com/TeslaCoils/Misc/terrygap.jpg
>
> There are many versions...  But short sections of pipe in series do
> seem much better.

Actually after playing with it a while it seemed the regular spark gap was
making about the same size sparks but the safety gap kept going off every
other second or so.  I'll try to get things dialed in today.  I did make a
new spark gap last night.  It's a piece of 4" PVC with about 9 or 10 pieces
of copper tube super glued around in there.  I spaced them with pennys.
Each tube is 1 1/2" long.  I'll try that out today too.

Thanks
Malcolm - KC