Re: Beginer building a small sstc.

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "Antonio Carlos M. de Queiroz" <acmdq@xxxxxxxxxx>

Tesla list wrote:

> Original poster: "Nick D." <ngdbud@xxxxxxxxx>
> I am 14 and have a few questions about a small Tesla coil I'm trying 
> to build. First of all, the dimensions for the secondary coil will 
> be 2.5 inches in diameter and 10 inches tall. I have a homemade 
> plate stack capacitor that can handle 10 kv playing on the safe 
> side. I measured it to have a capacity of 26 nf ut under my body 
> weight I can get  it up to 40 nf. For a coil this small I'll 
> probably leave it uncompressed.

If the capacitance changes with pressure it's because there is air between
the metal plates and the dielectric. This may cause quite fast failure
if the capacitor is put to hard use. You can put this capacitor under
oil, but you must take out all the air.

> As for the power supply, I would like to stay away from wall sockets 
> and work off battery power. I'm thinking of using a squre wave 
> generator sending out pulses at 1-100 khz at 10-15 volts and running 
> it backwards through a 3 volt transformer, this should get me 
> between 4 and 6 kv.

Doesn't work. Not enough insulation at the primary used as secondary.
Find a small NST. Much easier.

> My second best choice for power supply would be a flyback 
> transformer, but I only have the newer types, encased with plastic 
> and having cylindrical secondar coils. I made a torid for the coil 
> out of three feet of dryer hose. it has a 9 inch diam eter and is 
> 4.5 inches tall. Is this too big for my coil? Since I'm working at 
> this low a power level, I plan on using 18 awg speaker wire for a 
> primary coil and 28 awg for the secandary. Is 18 awg too thin?

Will work. I would prefer solid wire for the primary. My primary coils
use #18 wire: http://www.coe.ufrj.br/~acmq/tesla/tefp.html

> For the primary how many coils should I use and how far apart should 
> I space them? If you have any comments or answers to even just one 
> question, I would love to hear them.

You can use one of the several programs for TC design to find the correct
dimensions to have everything tuned. I have some at
http://www.coe.ufrj.br/~acmq/programs

Antonio Carlos M. de Queiroz