Re: ballast are bogus!!! (fwd)

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 05 Sep 2007 18:37:26 -0700
From: Barton B. Anderson <bartb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Tesla list <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: ballast are bogus!!! (fwd)

Daryl,

Don't be too quick to call a ballast bogus. Yes, pigs will run without a 
ballast (your not the first to do so). Depending on the load, mains 
breaker, ramp up time, voltage set to zero before turn on, etc.. the 
breaker may not trip. The draw is always based on the load (like 
anything else), but a ballast "limits current". If there is a fault with 
the pig, the pig will try to draw MASSIVE currents under short circuit 
conditions. Now is the time to ask "how much"?

Distribution transformers have a % impedance rating (how mean your 
monster can be if provoked). Check your pigs data plate for your 
specific rating. My pig is rated at 1.9%. Thus, (1/1.9) indicates my pig 
can deliver 52.6 times it's rated output current!!!!! Yes, if you are 
thinking to yourself "holy crap!", then you are starting to understand 
why ballasts are important. It's a safety aspect first and foremost to 
you, us, house wiring, etc.. It is also a means of controlling current 
to the pig just in the same way you control voltage to the pig (if you 
can vary the ballasting impedance).

Please don't advocate to coilers that ballasts are bogus simply because 
your welder had issues and you got longer sparks without it (you can get 
just as long sparks with ballast if done right). This is a safety 
concern and some newby might actually listen to you and end up dead!

BTW, if you want to remain the rockincoiler, go back to a ballast. Those 
who use pigs need to understand this; it's important.

Take care,
Bart

Tesla list wrote:

>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2007 00:10:15 -0700 (PDT)
>From: daryl barsoom <rockincoiler@xxxxxxxxx>
>To: tesla@xxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: ballast are bogus!!!
>
>hello!!
>   
>  so i built a telsa coil last year?  after lots of mesing around with it it work pretty good, like 6' sparks!  i now sure wish taht i knew about you guys first!
>   
>  it has 950 turn secondaryand a 10 turn primary coil, made out of old welding cable.  the 'pole pig' (heh) is 220volt and runs off the welding outlet from the dryer in the garage.  i have an old SKIL saw with a 10" beam blade that work great for the rotary gap but the blade is good for only mabye 5 runs.
>   
>  but the website plans say to always use a 'ballast' like an old stick welder, with a pole pig.  so i did? but now the welder started smoking a little bit, because it was already very old.
>   
>  so, i got mad and just took the welder out of the circuit. and guess what?? the coil works  even better!!!  it arcs way longer, and you can't even looka t the SKIL saw anymore while its running!  the pole pig makes the hummy hummy thumpy sound too so now i guess its finally doing some work.
>   
>  so the whole ballast thing is a joke? i dont know what they were on when they said that.
>
>       
>---------------------------------
>Yahoo! oneSearch: Finally,  mobile search that gives answers, not web links. 
>
>
>
>
>
>  
>