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Re: troubleshooting tesla coil (fwd)



---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 16 Jun 2007 18:44:42 -0500
From: resonance <resonance@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Tesla list <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: troubleshooting tesla coil (fwd)



Don't do this experiment.  You will weaken or blow your caps.  See my other 
post on this.  Keep your sec in place and set up a 1-2 inch spark discharge 
to a grounded wire.  This allows tuning without building excessive 
potentials in the pri.

Dr. Resonance

> I've been keeping the secondary coil removed, until I get the primary
> running, at least for a few seconds.  Is that a big problem?  If it is, I
> could wind a short secondary, so it's there, but won't produce as much
> power.
>
>
> Tesla list wrote:
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Sat, 16 Jun 2007 00:18:09 -0500
> From: resonance <resonance@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: Tesla list <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re: troubleshooting tesla coil (fwd)
>
>
>
> Don't ever run a cap without a pri (& sec) load in place.  The very high Q
> of the low inductance circuit (cap, short wires, & sparkgap) will blow 
> your
> caps or xmfr.
>
> This is the equivalent of jumping in your car, putting it in neutral, and
> holding the accelerator to the foor.  No load or place for the energy
> to go and ---- blam!
>
> Dr. Resonance
>
>
>
>
> Yes that is what I meant, but when it didn't work for a few times, I
> removed the primary coil from the circuit, to eliminate it as a source of
> trouble.
>
>
> Tesla list wrote:
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2007 10:36:05 +0100
> From: Paul Benham <paulb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: Tesla list <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re: troubleshooting tesla coil (fwd)
>
> Hi Marko,
>
> The capacitor needs to be in series with the primary, and these are in
> parallel with the gap.  I think that is what you meant.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Paul.
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Friday, June 15, 2007 3:55 AM
> Subject: Re: troubleshooting tesla coil (fwd)
>
>
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Thu, 14 Jun 2007 20:55:22 -0600 (MDT)
> From: Chip Atkinson <chip@xxxxxxxxxx>
> To: Tesla list <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re: troubleshooting tesla coil (fwd)
>
> Here's a thought.  It could be that a multimeter doesn't measure a short
> because the multimeter's voltage is so low that it wouldn't be able to
> jump any gap at all.  At 5500 volts, you can jump some gap so it could be
> shorted out.
>
> One way to debug that is to disconnect one of the leads from the NST to
> the gap.  Put it on a wooden or non-conductive stick so you will be plenty
> insulated from the current.  Then bring this disconnected lead up to the
> point where it connects and see what kind of spark you get.  If it's kind
> of a flaming spark you have a short.  If it's a really loud crackly snappy
> spark then your cap is fine.
>
> Try that and let us know what you see.
>
> Chip
>
> On Thu, 14 Jun 2007, Tesla list wrote:
>
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Thu, 14 Jun 2007 19:32:17 -0400
> From: Marko Ruban <Marko@xxxxxxxx>
> To: tesla@xxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: troubleshooting tesla coil
>
> Hello all
>
> I was looking for some help on tesla coil construction, and joined this
> list as a result.  Looks like I came to the right place :)
>
> I'm building my first tesla coil, and could use some help "debugging"
> it.  All of the coil parts have been assembled, according to various
> recipes out on the web, but when put together, the spark gap doesn't
> fire.
>
> I've got the circuit down to a bare minimum:  5.5KV, 30Khz NST provides
> the power, spark gap connected across the transformer output leads, and
> a capacitor in parallel with spark gap.  Without the capacitor, spark
> gap fires just fine, with it, I just hear humming sound (I think coming
> from the vibrating capacitor plates), but no spark.
>
> Capacitor was home built, consists of 8 copper sheets separated by
>
>
> 10mil
>
>
> Mylar insulator, roughly 8"x6" area.  Measured C is 7nF.  When DC power
> is supplied (through a rectifier circuit), makes the gap fire at
> intervals, indicating that cap is storing charge.  I thought this could
> be my problem component, so I built a different type of capacitor (beer
> bottle salt water, 800pF), but that didn't change a thing.  Neither
> capacitor is shorted out, according to my multimeter.
>
> Is there any definitive way to test the capacitor for faults?  Am I
> missing something else?  What could be going wrong?
>
> Thanks, for any thoughts you can provide on the subject.
>
> Marko
>
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