sparkless rotary spark gap (fwd)

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 06 Aug 2007 00:58:02 +0000
From: ameen_ghavam@xxxxxxxxxxx
To: Tesla list <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: sparkless rotary spark gap

            Alright, I'm no exptert, but I can't seem to see why it's
absolutely necessary to have a rotary gap spark as suppose to just
touching electrodes. If your electrodes touched, there would be no worries
about quenching or overheating, but the capacitor still discharges. This
does mean, however, that the circuit resonates a lot longer and gives the
capacitor less charging time. But it could be a fair tradeoff considering
that more energy overall is transfered into the secondary. The efficiency
may not improve, but no quenching or overheating worries, just physical
erosion to the electrode.
                       Does anyone see a reason why that wouldn't be a
good idea?
                                          Ameen Ghavam