Re: Cheap parts for high-power resistive ballast (for pole transformer). (fwd)

["High Voltage list" <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: <sroys@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>



---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 15 May 2005 10:37:37 +0100
From: Mike Harrison <mike@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: High Voltage list <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: Cheap parts for high-power resistive ballast (for pole
    transformer). (fwd)

On Sat, 14 May 2005 19:40:29 -0600 (MDT), you wrote:

>Original poster: <sroys@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
>
>[Sorry for the delay in posting.  I was at a meeting where I *thought* I
>would have had access to the list, but actually didn't.  SRR]
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Sun, 8 May 2005 21:16:35 -0700 (PDT)
>From: J. Aaron Holmes <jaholmes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>To: hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: Cheap parts for high-power resistive ballast (for pole transformer).
>
>Howdy, hvlist,
>
>In addition to some Tesla coiling, I'd like to do some
>ridiculously high-powered Jacob's laddering :)  I'm
>shooting for 30kVA.  Unfortunately, I don't feel like
>investing much (in time or money) in a big inductive
>ballast.  Instead, I thought I'd just install six or
>eight hot water heater elements in a cheap metal trash
>can (filled with water, of course), then use some big
>relays to put them all in parallel so that I could
>fire the thing up with only a single element in line,
>then bring the others in one at a time until I'm
>running at full throttle.  Sound workable?  I could
>even install a faucet in the side of the trash can so
>that the thing could be made light and portable on
>short notice (great for Teslathons).  Now on to the
>question:  Is there something cheaper that might
>provide the same functionality?  Amazingly, hot water
>heater elements appear to be relatively non-cheap. 
>I've seen a few tempting bulk lots go by on eBay, but
>they were threaded in an odd way that made me suspect
>they'd be difficult to work with.
>
>Should I just get a spool of nichrome wire, some
>cinder blocks, and a box fan? :))

Electric shower elements would be another possibility, with a little plumbing, a small pump and
radiator/fan you could avoid the need for the big trash can and water supply.