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

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

Original poster: <sroys@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>



---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 16 May 2005 10:37:14 -0700 (PDT)
From: J. Aaron Holmes <jaholmes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: High Voltage list <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: RE: Cheap parts for high-power resistive ballast (for pole
    transformer). (fwd)


The "green box" transformer feeding my house also
feeds three others and is rated at 50kVA.  My main
breaker is 200A.  I should be able to get 125A without
frying anything and without browning out my neighbors,
provided they're not also playing with pole pigs at
the same time as I am :D  The rule of thumb for
transformers around here seems to be #ofhouses x
12.5kVA or 15kVA, whichever is largest.  Our
neighborhood is filled with 25's, 37.5's, and 50's, so
I guess I'm lucky :)  Out to the east of me in the
"fringe of civilization", it's not uncommon for one
house to have its own transformer (typically
pole-mounted), in which case the transformer is almost
invariably 15kVA.  That would be a real bummer (for
me)!

--- High Voltage list <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Original poster: <sroys@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> 
> 
> 
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Sat, 14 May 2005 22:00:35 -0500
> From: Godfrey Loudner <ggreen@xxxxxxxx>
> To: 'High Voltage list' <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: RE: Cheap parts for high-power resistive
> ballast (for pole
>     transformer). (fwd)
> 
> Hello Aaron
> 
> In series, you'll get too much voltage drop. I would
> try putting some in
> parallel for less resistance. But anyway, you'll be
> expending energy
> heating the elements that you would rather see in
> the arc. I think using
> a resistive ballast is unacceptable. You need an
> inductive ballast at
> your desired power level. If you got there, you will
> need carbon rods
> for the arc to climb on. Can you get 125 amperes
> from your service box?
> Anyway, the arcs would be scary!
> 
> Godfrey Loudner     
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: High Voltage list [mailto:hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx] 
> Sent: Saturday, May 14, 2005 8:40 PM
> To: hvlist
> Subject: Cheap parts for high-power resistive
> ballast (for pole
> transformer). (fwd)
> 
> 
> 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? :))
> 
> 73,
> Aaron, N7OE
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>