thanks!

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "Michael Rowe" <lozinit@xxxxxxxxx>

Just a quick note to say thanks to all the information put together 
on this list. It's truely an invaluable resource.

I recently finished construction of my first coil.

 4.5" secondary, 22.25" winding of 24 awg.
Primary is 11 turns of .25" copper tube, spaced .25". Flat spiral design.
1 inch space from primary to secondary.
Geekgroup saltwater bucket cap. (Yes, all 12 bottles, maybe I should 
run 6 instead).
Very simple two brass sphere static gap. (Brass erodes really quickly 
I've found)
4"x13" duct toroid.
Franceformer 15/30 trans.
Wiring is all 10 awg stranded. (Except secondary ground, this is 4awg)

At the moment, I can't get more than smallish 6-7 inch purple 
steamers from the topload to air, and I am all the way out to the end 
of the primary.
 I can get a bright white single streamer (with or without a 
breakout point) if I bring a ground rod within 9 inches of the topload.

Any ideas on how to increase the length of the streamers using what 
I've got above? Maybe a better sparkgap, less capacitance on the tank 
circuit, etc...?

It's been a very interesting learing experience thus far, and I 
originally started out using 2 MOTs and a doubler as a power supply, 
but kept blowing the 20 amp breaker within 3 seconds. Ballasting with 
a third identical mot in series with the 120 line did nothing but 
smoke the ballast with the secondaries shorted, and if I left them 
open, I got nothing at all from the power supply.
Ballasting mots is still somewhat unlearned for me at the moment, and 
in the meantime I am having fun with the nst power.
Anyone have any in-depth reading material about the theory of 
operation for this type ballasts?