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Re: I'm a newbie coiler!



Original poster: "C. Sibley" <a37chevy@xxxxxxxxx>

Hey Zooch!  (See you have a new friend already :-)

The plans you found are a starting place, but consider
replacing the RF Chokes with what is know as a Terry
Filter.

http://www.hot-streamer.com/temp/NSTFilt.jpg

There is some evidence that the RF chokes can cause as
much trouble as they fix, since they tend to resonate
at their own resonant frequency.

I'd also consider reversing the positions of the spark
gap and the tank capacitor. Putting the gap across the
NST helps protect the NST from the RF.

Consider building a MMC for the capacitor, much more
reliable and better performing.

I'd also consider a flat archimedes primary and a
larger top load.

The list Member "Dr. Resonence" has a very nice white
paper that incorporates all of this (except the filter
I think) that he will send you if you contact him off
list.  It captures all of the basics and will get you
a lot closer to the "state of the art" than your plans
will.

Also go over to classictesla.com and familiarize
yourself with JAVATC.  Once you settle on a basic
configurtion you can accurately simulate it and gett
the feel for what you are doing before you commit to
hardware.

Good luck, and enjoy.  It a fun hobby!

Curt.


--- Tesla list <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Original poster: "Steve Ziuchkovski"
> <smz@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
> Well, we'll see..
>
> An introduction:
>
> My name is Steve (my friends call me "Zooch"), and
> I'm an Electronics
> Technician in the US Navy (I've been this for the
> last five years).
> Before that, I tinkered with electronics for a few
> years. This has,
> fortunately, made my job in the navy quite a bit
> easier than those
> with no electronics background. It's also helpful
> that my father has
> a master's degree in electrical engineering. I know
> CPR, the dangers
> inherent in working with electricity, and have a
> respect for it. A
> guy on my ship just took 440 volts and can't use his
> right arm, at
> least for the time being (it happened about a week
> ago).
>
> I've wanted to build a tesla coil for about 10 years
> now. I, like all
> of you probably, think "Wow, this s*** is cool!".
> Sorry about the
> language, but that's the truth. Almost ranks up
> there with how an
> op-amp works. Okay, it's probably a bit more
> impressive...
>
> So, I've finally taken the first step and bought the
> first big piece
> of my new hobby, the neon sign transformer. I
> haven't even received
> it in the mail yet, but I'd like to find out if
> anyone can tell me
> anything about my new toy.
>
> It's a Magnetek 15kv 30ma transfomer. The
> information on eBay says
> the part number is 721-111-400, and the label
> information is that
> it's a 120v, 60 Hz, 450VA, 30mA transformer.
> However, I can't find a
> datasheet on the net for it. Anyone have any
> information?
>
> If my research and knowledge is correct, this baby
> puts out 15kv at
> 30ma, which comes out to 450w. Draws about 3.75 amps
> from the wall.
> If I short the secondary terminals together, nothing
> untowards will
> happen as long as the mains circuit can provide 3.75
> amps without
> blowing breakers or fuses or melting the wiring at
> this rating, right?
>
> For my first project, I plan to hook this up for a
> Jacob's Ladder -
> effectively shorting the secondary. Any issues
> associated with this?
> I've read the safety sheet (at
>
<http://www.pupman.com/safety.htm>www.pupman.com/safety.htm),
> but I
> know I'll be making a spark-gap transmitter. I live
> in an apartment
> complex and don't want to piss off my neighbors by
> making their TVs
> go whacky, causing them to drop cell-phone calls,
> and making their
> dog's bark. I also don't want to suffocate myself
> with ozone. But I
> also wont be running my Jacob's Ladder for hours on
> end.
>
> As far as the tesla coil plans go - I read an
> article at
>
<http://www.nutsvolts.com/PDF_Files/tesla.pdf>http://www.nutsvolts.com/PDF_Files/tesla.pdf,
>
> and this seems like a pretty simple article for a
> pretty simple
> design. However, it's missing some details that I
> think I might like.
> Can someone point me to a better article or web
> site? I'd like to
> have some good specific guidelines, but something
> general enough that
> will let me play around a little depending on what
> is available locally.
>
> I'd also like to be able to make some meaurements on
> the resulting
> hardware. Like I said, I've played around with
> electronics before,
> usually low-voltage stuff. I have experience with
> some embedded
> hardware/software, mostly with Atmel's line of
> microprocessors. I've
> done some stuff with this hardware like collecting
> measurements on
> temperatures, RTCs, logging the data to EEPROMS, and
> displaying stuff
> on LCDs/interfacing with computers over RS232. Where
> can I find
> information on measuring the
> frequencies/voltages/currents present in
> a tesla coil? How do I go about making HV probes and
> such, and
> overcoming the interference I'd be getting by having
> this circuitry
> in proximity to my tesla coil, when it's built? Or,
> for that matter,
> near my Jacob's Ladder as a starting point?
> Apparently, analog meters
> may be the way to go, but being able to collect
> digital samples to
> analyze seem to be a little more fun (and more
> accurate).
>
> It looks like my little e-mail here is not so little
> anymore.
>
> Well, my name is "Zooch", and I love electronics -
> and electricity.
>
> Steve "Zooch" Ziuchkovski
>
>
>
>


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