Re: Secondary Questions

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Mark Broker by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <broker-at-uwplatt.edu>

Hi, Jake

>Original poster: "Jake Draper by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
<cybermecium2-at-home-dot-com>
>
>Hello~
>After some thought, and the help of the Tesla List. I have decided to build a
>bigger Tesla Coil than the one I currently have (1.5"X6") I have decided that
>the best size for my next coil will be 4"X24" because I have some 4" PVC
and it
>is the size most people seem to have the best results with. My questions are:

Great size coil.  Seen that size used from  a single 9/30 up to about
12/240 (or whatever Jim was running at the Geek GRoup Teslathon the other
weekend).


>1) What size of wire should I use?

John Freau has found excellent results with 26AWG with about 1600 turns.
It isn't a critical value, but does have some critical ramifications,
particularly the size of the primary inductor.  Do an archives search at 
pupman-dot-com for a wealth of info.  I wouldn't use anything thicker than
22AWG, and nothing thinner than 26AWG (unless you really want to wind 2000
turns of 28AWG wire ;-)


>2) How much wire would I need to wind this secondary from that size of wire?

1600 * 4 * pi = 20,000 feet.  But that's only for the design I specified.


>3) Does anybody know of a good place that sells the wire I would need to wind
>this BESIDES EBAY, and at a reasonable price?

Fay Electric Wire Co. in Oshkosh, WI -at- 920-426-0792 (no Web site). They
quoted me $1.95 plus copper ($1.07 on ~2-19-00) per pound for 85deg C
enamel-coated (the "normal" orangish-brown color) 22AWG magnet 
wire.  Assume that the price has changed.  The only drawback is that there
is a 10 pound minimum purchase, and they ship COD (can be a drawback or
benefit).....  You could always sell the extra on the list, or donate 
it to The Geek Group :-)

Mark Broker
G-5 Geek #10