Re: secondary question

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

Original poster: dhmccauley-at-spacecatlighting-dot-com 

 >  > I have seen plenty of coils in person and pictures that produce arcs
 >  > much longer than the length of the secondary coil. What prevents to
 >  > voltage from the secondary from just arcing down it's own length? Its
 >  > the shortest path.
 >  >                                    Steve Z
 >
 >
 > Prepare to be "shocked" - the voltage isn't actually high enough to
 > allow it to do that. It most certainly does happen if the voltage
 > gets high enough, an easy matter to arrange (just up the primary
 > energy sufficiently and it will happen). Long streamers are the
 > result of repetitive growth along a hot and possibly partially
 > ionized channel of air.
 >
 > Malcolm

I beg to differ.  Take a look at this beauty of a photo I took of Terry
Blake's
tesla coil at the RATCB 2003.  A very nice arc right down the secondary!!!
And BTW, thats an oil filled secondary as well!

http://www.easternvoltageresearch-dot-com/ratcb2003/imagepages/240-4022_IMG.html

Dan