GOT A NEON-WHAT NOW?

• To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
• Subject: GOT A NEON-WHAT NOW?
• From: brad.alheim-at-the-spa-dot-com
• Date: Fri, 22 Nov 96 09:42:24

 Te> Brad, I've used 9 kv, 12 kv, and 15 kv neons.  I have found the 9 kv
 Te> neons to be more robust in Tesla coil work.  I have never had a 15 kv
 Te> neon last for more than a few minutes of operation :(  A second
 Te> advantage to using a lower voltage tranformer is that you can use lower
 Te> voltage (i.e., cheaper) capacitors.  I have paralleled several 9 kv
 Te> neons and have video taped 60 inch sparks.  If I were you, I'd give
 Te> back the 15 kv and grab the 9 kv 120 ma transformer!  BTW, 120 ma neons
 Te> are somewhat rare, the biggest I've ever had is 60 ma.

 Te> Bert Pool

I'll keep the 15 kV, and get the 120mA 9kV also! As I said, he owes me BIG!
What is the usual failure mechanism of a neon? Is it internal arcing from
the inductive "kick" when the gap extinguishes? Is this why rotaries are
so hard on neons? (I'd guess that the static gap is self-voltage limiting
to an extent)
I think that I'll fire up first with the 15kV, and save the 9kV for when
I know better what I'm doing!

Thanks for your advice!
Brad Alheim
___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.12

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