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Re: Question - RQ spark gap plans (fwd)



---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 4 May 1998 10:25:04 -0600 (MDT)
From: Chip Atkinson <chip-at-pupman-dot-com>
To: Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Subject: Re: Question - RQ spark gap plans (fwd)

For plain parallel pipe gaps, I've never seen the spark stay on the edge.
I have used 1", 2", and 3" pipe.  The 1" pipe was cut with a pipe cutter
and the 3" pipe looks like it was cut with a saw or something that
produced smooth, non-turned in edges.  I cut the 2" myself and used a
lathe to face the edges so the pieces would all be the same length.
Except for the 1" dia. pieces, they all had very square edges and I never
noticed any "edge dwell".

For gaps that have end plates over the edges of the tubes, such as are
necessary for forced air type gaps, you do need to either curl the ends in
as Richard Hull mentioned, or do something else.  Apparently what happens
is the copper evaporates on the end plates and forms a conductive layer,
effectively shorting out the gap.  I solved the problem by drilling some
3/8" holes at the place that the pipes were closest.

Chip

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
 Chip Atkinson 
 http://www.pupman-dot-com 
 --- If I can't fix it, I can fix it so it can't be fixed --
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

On Sun, 3 May 1998, Tesla List wrote:

> 
> 
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Sun, 3 May 1998 20:11:18 -0600
> From: terryf-at-verinet-dot-com
> To: Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
> Subject: Question - RQ spark gap plans (fwd)
> 
> All,
> 
>         Many people have found that the RQ spark gap is better in their
> systems.  Preliminary testing I have done suggests the opposite.  However, I
> now have a theory as to why these gaps may give much better secondary sparks
> (this may lead to even better designs).  I would like to build and RQ style
> gap to test my theory out.  I have built similar gaps but they would not
> show the proper effects I seek..
>         I do have one concern.  As I understand the gap, there are many
> copper pipe sections side by side.  I would think that the higher electric
> field intensity at the ends of the pipes would cause the arcs to occur only
> at the ends of the pipe sections instead if near the centers where we would
> like.  Is this true and if not why not?  
> 
> Thanks
> 
>         Terry
> 
> terryf-at-verinet-dot-com
>         or
> terryf-at-peakpeak-dot-com
> 
> 
> At 03:36 PM 5/3/98 -0600, you wrote:
> >
> >
> >---------- Forwarded message ----------
> >Date: Sun, 3 May 1998 15:27:55 -0600 (MDT)
> >From: Chip Atkinson <chip-at-pupman-dot-com>
> >To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> >Subject: RQ spark gap plans
> >
> >Greetings all,
> >
> >Here is the text to the RQ (Richard Quick) spark gap plans.   You can
> >download bot the text and a gif image to accompany the text from 
> >ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/sci/electrical/tesla/misc/sparkgap.zip
> >
> >--------------------------------------------------------------
> BIG snip
> >=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
> > Chip Atkinson 
> > http://www.pupman-dot-com 
> > --- If I can't fix it, I can fix it so it can't be fixed --
> >=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
> >
> >
>