RE smallest Tesl Coil

To: tesla-at-poodle.pupman-dot-com
Subject: RE smallest Tesl Coil
From: Tesla List <tesla-at-stic-dot-net>
Date: Sun, 04 May 1997 08:47:00 -0500
Approved: tesla-at-stic-dot-net
Subject:       RE smallest Tesl Coil
       Date:   Sat, 03 May 1997 19:47:32 GMT
       From:   robert.michaels-at-online.sme-dot-org (Robert Michaels)
Organization:  Society of Manufacturing Engineers
         To:   tesla-at-pupman-dot-com


        Micro coils of various types have been the subject of
        posts in the past and are no doubt archived in the
        usual place.

        IMHO -- The proper starting point for such a coil
        is one of the hand-held electrical shocking devices sold
        for personal defense purposes.  These are somewhat larger
        than a pack of cigarettes.  They typically use a 9-volt
        battery and produce about 30 - 40 Kv. judging by the spark
        gap distance.

                                - - - - - - -

        The device you describe in your post is called (generically)
        a "high-voltage (vacuum) leak tester" and is standard item
        of commerce widely used in chemistry and physics laboratories.

        It is only Tesla-LIKE in my opinion, but if such satisfies
        you, you need only fashion a portable (battery operated)
        power supply for it -- perhaps to be worn on the belt.

                To this end I would envision a couple of 6-volt
                lantern batteries + one of the solid-state power
                inverters sold for making 120-v ac from an auto-
                mobile cigarette-lighter socket.  The smallest
                of these is about the size of a paper-back book.

                                        Thinking small in --
                                        Detroit, USA

                                        Robert Michaels


        P.S. = Please stick to 70-column lines.  The result of doing
               otherwise appears below>

T>I was talking to a tech at the local neon sign shop about Tesla coils
T>and he
T>showed me a small hand held device which looked like one of those Mag
T>lite
T>torches. It had a label on the side which read "Tesla gas leak
T>detector".
T>It plugged into AC mains and made a 50 Hz buzz and a violet corona
T>discharge
T>appeared at the business end which was a sharp spike.  They use this
for
T>detecting gas leaks in neon tubes.
T>I thought a good project would be to make the smallest Tesla coil
rather
T>than what everyone else seems to be doing (Making the largest Tesla
T>coil).
T>Has anyone made a small coil (hand held - battery operated) which
gives
T>impressive output?
T>What would be a good selection of components eg capacitor size,
winding
T>details etc
T>I thought maybe a NiCad power source driving an inverter to supply HV
T>and
T>then use standard spark gap and small primary coil would be a starting
T>point.
T>Any thoughts would be welcome.
T>Thanks
T>Ralph Down

T>Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday....... and
everything
T>is O.K.