[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]
Re: More Tuning/Debugging -- Success!
Tesla List wrote:
>
> >From ccurran-at-execpc-dot-comThu Aug 29 22:52:41 1996
> Date: Thu, 29 Aug 1996 20:18:54 -0500
> From: Chuck Curran <ccurran-at-execpc-dot-com>
> To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Subject: Re: More Tuning/Debugging -- Success!
>
> Hello All:
>
> First a Thank You to Malcom and Jim for their thoughts on likely areas
> to look for my system problem. I believe I have located the "BUG", it
> was the rotary gap. One of the two pillow blocks supporting the main
> shaft had never been fully tightened during the original assembly. They
> came looser and created a significant problem. Yea, dumb as a bag of
> rocks is an acceptable comment! Knocked the Lovejoy shaft coupling back
> about 3/8" along the motor shaft. The good news is no real damage was
> done, except for needing a total realignment. That is now done and I'm
> in the re-assembly stage of activity.
> My original spark output was not real good, when power input is
> considered. After putting in the new analog meters I beleive that I had
> about 4000 watts in and about a 6 foot spark out max . I examined my
> primary/secondary coil placement visually and the first or lowest
> secondary turn is exactly even with the extreme top of the primary
> copper tube. I never had even a hint of an arc from anywhere along the
> secondary to anything else. I feel I could afford to raise the primary
> for a small increase in coupling, without smoke occurring!. I designed
> the primary so that I can raise it with nylon spacers. My first thought
> was to fire things up again and verify I'm back to where I was with the
> repaired rotary, then raise the primary 1/2" for some more coupling.
> I would appreciate any comments on where others have found the primary
> secondary coupling point to work out the best,relative to the bottom of
> the secondary. How far up? I realize every system will be
> significantly different, but comments would still be of interest.
> Thanks in advance for any comments
>
> Chuck
Chuck,
In coupling two coil systems, one always tunes of minimum smoke! I raise
and lower the secondary until sparks race up and down the secondary.
Then I drop the raise the coil a bit. (to reduce the coupling.) This way
you are at the max coupling for your system. Most spark output!
If you set the secondary all the way down into the primary and no racing
appears on the secondary, you are probably slightly undercoupled, but
this is OK, too.
Note* racing sparks can screw up your secondary if allowed to continue
for a long period. The racing sparks are caused by the wide spliting of
frequencies within the resonator beyond a point acceptable to avoid
multiple nodes on the secondary. (overcoupling) In general, better spark
gaps and faster quench times (up to a point) will allow tighter coupling
in a two coil system. Nemesis was K=.25!
Richard Hull, TCBOR