Re: Ballast inductor

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

Original poster: "rheidlebaugh by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <rheidlebaugh-at-zialink-dot-com>

A 1/4" gap is a large gap and 28 turns is few turns, 25 mh is not a
surprize. Closing the gap could double your MH and more wire is helpful.
    Robert  H

> From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
> Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2002 11:50:41 -0700
> To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Subject: Ballast inductor
> Resent-From: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Resent-Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2002 11:57:37 -0700
> 
> Original poster: "by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
> <Esondrmn-at-aol-dot-com>
> 
> I wound a new ballast inductor last night using the previously mentioned 7.5
> amp variac core that has a 1/4" slice cut out of it.  I managed to get about
> 28 turns of #8 wire on this core.  My previous ballast, using a 5,000 watt
> variac, measured about 25 mh at the one half scale position where I normally
> had it set.  The new inductor measures only .40 mh.  I was surprised it was
> this low.  Is it possible that the Wavetek meter cannot supply enough current
> to magnetize the core, thus the measurements are about what I would get with
> the same number of turns wound around say a plastic form?  If this is the
> reason, why does the meter appear to measure the 5,000 watt variac properly?
> 
> Maybe I should hook it up to a low voltage 60 hz source with a series
> resistor and try to calculate the inductance.
> 
> Thanks, Ed Sonderman
> 
> 
>