Ballast training 101

["sundog" <sundog-at-timeship-dot-net> (by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>)]

Hi all,

  Before I dive into pole-pig land, MOT land, etc, I want to learn a lot
more about ballasting than I do now.  For my "work" I have a 120v
transformer that steps down to 16v20-30+A.  I feed it 120v, and it'll pull
up to 4+A from the wall, but the secondary leads start to bubble, so I shut
it down.
   About a 3" square cube, it's a true beast for small projects.  It has
proved itself "unbeatable" for low voltage-high current useage.  Normally
the things I run it with don't pull much (<2A) so a high amount of power
isn't needed, so it rarely pops the 120v4A fuse I had on it.

   Now, yes, this is a bit silly, going through the hassle of ballasting a
16v tranny.  But it should behave just like a pole pig (suck up current till
it pops the breaker), and by using this nifty 3A breaker I found at the flea
market, I can assure I'm actually limiting it.  I frequently feed a 4/30 NST
with it for ~1kv output (hmmmGMHEICSLR range voltage ;), and come to think
of it, haven't checked the nst's current output.  Good idea there.

I intend to try and note: seriesing a lower-wattage tranny (5v500ma) with
the primary (5v500ma sec leads shorted)
                                   resistive ballast (light bulbs of warious
wattages in series /w primary)

Will a moveable steel core in a selenoid limit primary current?  How do I
figure # of turns, etc. (will it work for something this small? would it
work better on the secondary side?) How about winding a plain 'ole inductor
for it?

Again, yes, this seems a bit silly, but it's a *LOT* less dangerous than
MOT's, and if it does bite me, I 'll only get a nasty, substantial jolt and
live to coil on.  The goal is *not* to get bitten, however.

 Ideas?  Comments?  Think it'll even work?

  								Sundog