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Re: Figure this out.



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> From: Tesla List <tesla-at-poodle.pupman-dot-com>
> To: Tesla-list-subscribers-at-poodle.pupman-dot-com
> Subject: Re: Figure this out.
> Date: Thursday, January 23, 1997 12:25 AM
> 
> Subscriber: DavidF4797-at-aol-dot-com Wed Jan 22 21:42:14 1997
> Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 14:18:21 -0500 (EST)
> From: DavidF4797-at-aol-dot-com
> To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Subject: Re: Figure this out.
> 
> In a message dated 97-01-22 03:41:24 EST, you write:
> 
> > ANY time we Coilers use a Neon
> >  Transformer we are Gamblin' with the Odds because of that Case Center
Tap
> >  Problem. It is the Single Greatest Cause of Grief and Frustration,
because
> >  just when you think you've got the Perfect Neon... ZAP! Your Neon's
Fried!
> 
> 
> I have come to the conclusion after using many types of transformers from
> many different manufacturers that the problem is not one so much of
centertap
> grounding as it is with hot spots and corona that form wihin and between
the
> windings of the neon secondary.  The first transformer that I ever used I
> still have and it still works flawlessly (its a 15kv 60ma.)  The reason
is
> that early on I removed it from its case and melted the tar off by
soaking it
> a week in paint thinner.  I then built a plexigalss case for it which I
then
> filled with synthetic refridgeration compressor oil (which has excelent
> dielectric strenght and cooling properties).  I have run a medium sized
coil
> with that transformer flat out (3to 4 ft arcs with minimal terminal
> capacitance and a 4"diam by 18" high secondary) continuously for 15 to 20
> minutes at a time for a total of nearly *20 hours* of operation both with
and
> without saftey chokes and *without* a saftey gap.
> 
> The reason that I orriginally repotted the transformer in oil is that
early
> on (after about an hour total of operation) I began to hear a "buzzing"
noise
> eminate from the trans and saw the output begin to deminish (the
beginning of
> a short, I suspect).  After repotting in oil, the buzzing went away and
the
> outpur returned to its former intensity and has remained so ever
since....
>  Excelent emperical evidence about what a good dielecrtic cooling medium
can
> do for a stressed coil.
> 
> I have also recently begun work on smaller coils and have found (after
> destroying several of them after just a few minutes of operation) that a
> company called "newtown" here in Illinois produces an open core and coil
line
> that uses a specially potted secondary winding that is vacuum imregnated
with
> epoxy.  These are the only transformers that I have been able to run
> continuously without breakdown so far (about two hours total).  Because
of
> the vacuum impregnation of the secondary, there are no air bubles in the
> epoxy which acts as an excelent insulator and also as a good conductor of
> heet away from the secondary (much as an oil bath would).  
> 
> The removal of heet and the improvement of dielecrtic strenght between
the
> windings  is, from my point of view, *the* key to reliable neon
transformer
> operation in tesla coil service.
> 
> By the way, the newtown open core transformers are vastly superior in
> construction to most of the other transformers that I have used and
examined.
>  The fit, finish, and overall design and manufacturing precision is
> exceptional, better than even France transformers which were my previous
> favorite, they are also half the price!!!  The newtown open cores  also
> employ a totally floating secondary (not grounded to the core) for thoes
who
> are interested.  Newtown will be the company that I will pruchase all of
my
> future open core transformers from and I would recommend them highly.
> 
> Other thoughts welcomed.
> 
> -DavidF-

This is an EXCELLENT OBSERVATION! Nikola Tesla EARLY ON Discovered that OIL
is the BEST INSULATION YOU CAN GET!! And for Today's Coilers that is still
an important fact that we should always keep in mind. David, I notice that
EVEN THOUGH you had discovered the Truth of this Fact for yourself, you
STILL have Transformers that you use that you have NOT Converted to OIL
BATH. And WHY? My guess is that it is Time Consuming and Messy.

My point is that MOST Coilers (especially NEW ones) are NOT going to make
an Oil Bath Conversion because it seems too much like Work. But some of us
Supposedly Serious Coilers will read what David Shared with Us, and NOT
EVEN MAKE THE EFFORT to throw that extra Neon into a (hopefully Sealed)
container of Paint Thinner for a week and ATTEMPT IT. Well, it would Help a
little if we could get David to Share with all of us any Nitty Gritty How
To Do Type Stuff that he learned in his OWN Exploits in Oil Bath
Conversion. That way we won't all be Making the Same Stupid Mistakes if we
decide to do the conversion ourselves. (Dave, this is a Subtle Hint. Write
MORE Details. We Need DATA. More DATA)

If I may be so bold as to make an observation about David's Conversion and
his Excellent Results. Could it be that the oil bath is ALSO insulating the
Primary to Ground and Ground to Secondary stuff TOO? In other words, MANY
cases of Premature Neon Death could be caused by Hot Spots. And MANY cases
could ALSO be caused by Any Number of Other Things. Such as Grounding the
Case. By the way, if any one makes a Conversion a la David, you actually
GET RID OF THE STUPID GROUNDED CASE PROBLEM because the Oil Super Insulates
EVERYTHING. (By the way, David, you mentioned that you put it into a
Plastic Case... Did you even HAVE a Case to Ground? Did you attach a Ground
to the Core? Please share these facts with All of Us). 

I wonder if the Neon Transformer companies could be persuaded to sell us
Neon Transformers BEFORE THEY PUT THE TAR IN THE CASE? Then all we would
have to do is immerse the sucker in an Oil Bath, and VOILA! The Perfect
Neon! Heck, shove all the Stuff LOOSE in a Cardboard Box and sell it as the
Do It Yourself Oil Bath Neon Kit, and I FOR ONE WOULD BE HAPPY TO BUY IT! 

I hope that all of us have absolutely no interest in pushing one theory of
transformer breakdown over another. As long as people still use Tar Filled
Center Tapped Neons we should all attempt to warn them of ALL possible
Causes of Failure so that they can at least Attempt to Do Something About
Them. The nice thing is that there IS a solution to ALL the Neon Problems,
and It Ain't All That Hard to IMPLEMENT IT! Thank you, David, for Sharing
that information with All of US!! Are there any OTHER people out there who
have done this sort of thing? WE NEED INPUT! DATA!! MORE DATA!!!

If all else fails, try something else.
Fr. Tom McGahee