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An Alternative to Transformers for driving Tesla coils





From: 	Alfred A. Skrocki[SMTP:alfred.skrocki-at-cybernetworking-dot-com]
Sent: 	Saturday, November 08, 1997 10:18 AM
To: 	Tesla List
Subject: 	An  Alternative to Transformers  for driving Tesla  coils

For those who are trying to build a Tesla coil but live in an area where 
oil burner ignition coils, neon sign transformers, and pole pigs are 
outrageously expensive or downright impossiple to get, there is a long 
overlooked alternative - namely the "kicker coil" driven Tesla coil. The 
idea is that when a large inductance has it's supply voltage cut off 
suddenly the collapsing magnetic field develops a high counter E.M.F. which 
is then used to drive the Tesla coil. This is also the principle of the 
handheld Tesla coils used for vacuum testing and the old "violet-ray" 
coils. Below is an ASCII drawing of the layout.
                             
                                     ___
                                    (___)
                                      )                  
                 			          )
                                      )
                                      )
                                      ) S
                                      )
                    __________________)
                 VG ____  _|_         )
                      | | ___C        )P
                     #( |__|__________)
                   C #(    |      
                   O #(    |
                   I #(    |                   
                   L #(    |
                      |    |
                       115V
                     AC or DC

You have an iron core coil connected at one side of it's windings to the 
supply line. The other side of the coil connects to a vibrating armature 
almost identical to those found on the old induction coils. The stationary 
contact of the interrupter is connected to the Tesla coil primary P, the 
other side of the primary is connected to the Tesla coil secondary S. the 
primary also connects to the moving contact of the interrupter and the 
capacitor C is across the vibrating spark gap VG. There should be an 
adjusting screw that pushes the moving armature of the vibrating spark gap 
closer to or further away from the stationary contact. Instructions for 
building several different size Tesla coils driven by a "kicking coil" are 
described in Thomas Stanley Curtis's "High Frequency Apparatus" 1916 
(reprinted by Lindsay Publications 1988)in chapter VIII "Kicking Coil 
Apparatus".

                               Sincerely

                                \\\|///
                              \\  ~ ~  //
                               (  -at- -at-  )
                        -----o00o-(_)-o00o-----
                           Alfred A. Skrocki
                   Alfred.Skrocki-at-CyberNetworking-dot-com
                             .ooo0   0ooo.
                        -----(   )---(   )-----
                              \ (     ) /
                               \_)   (_/