DSL-Diode Spark Gap Logic

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Original poster: "B2 by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <bensonbd-at-boo-dot-net>

Hi All,
    I am about 1463 e-mails behind at the moment.  Classwork will limit my
reading until December.  In the mean time, I had a free 30 minutes for
experimentation.  I tried the following:

1. Transformer is 4 kV, 30 MA bug zapper transformer.  Transformer HV
output is connected to the tank capacitor via 5 KOhm-50 Watt resistor plus
two 6 kV diodes (All Electronics) in series (12 kV total).
2. 0.01 uF MMC.
3. Resonant frequency-50 kHz.
4. Primary and secondary are from an ancient Spellman HVPS.
5. Secondary is pie wound-10 pies-4 inches winding length.
6. Victoreen-DSL-SGCA-2500D precision spark gap (fires at 2500 Volts within
5 %-Haven't found another source) paralleled with 8 series connected diodes
(1N5408-1kV-400 Ampere surge-All Electronics, Digikey).

Notes:  Fired the coil for 1 minute.  Unpluged it and then shorted out the
MMC.  Touched the SGCA-2500D and diodes.  They were both barely perceptable
warm.  Under normal operation the SGCA-2500D would be too hot to touch
after 30 seconds.

Theory:  The SGCA-2500D conducts for only 1/2 cycle.  The diode string
conducts for the other half cycle (extrapolation from Terry's research).

Comments: It is interesting that such a low frequency diode works at 50
kHz.  More experiments at higher power as time permits.  Interesting
possibilities here.

Cheers,
Barry