Re: Big tc article

To: TESLA-at-PUPMAN.COM
Subject: Re: Big tc article
From: Mark Graalman <mark.graalman-at-mediccom.norden1-dot-com>
Date: Sat, 03 Aug 1996 08:35:00 -0500


 Te> From bmcpeak-at-gte-dot-netFri Aug  2 22:56:17 1996
 Te> Date: Fri, 2 Aug 1996 04:21:28 -0500
 Te> From: Brad McPeak <bmcpeak-at-gte-dot-net>
 Te> To: Tesla List <tesla-at-poodle.pupman-dot-com>
 Te> Subject: Big tc article

 Te> Hello All,
 Te> I have a reprint of an article that appeared in the July 1964
 Te> Popular Electronics, called Big
 Te> TC. I am sure someone is familiar with this article.I can post the
 Te> particulars to anyone interested.  The coil uses a plate glass Cap. I
 Te> would like to build this using modern materials and theory, but keep
 Te> the old style flavor. My question is about the cap, could it be built
 Te> with rigid plastic dielectric and be used dry without melting or
 Te> failing? I intend to power it with a 9000- 60ma transformer. could
 Te> polyethylene be used with the glass to decrease disapation? Or how
 Te> would Epoxy PC boards work. I have built several small coils to date
 Te> but could use some help with this.
 
 MG> Your changes would work and be a VAST improvement over the original
 MG> project. However to duplicate this coil verbatim would be a mistake,
 MG> it used no terminal capacitance, aspect ratio was to high, and in fact
 MG> the original coil was never resonated properly. He mentions in the 
 MG> article that longer sparks can be had by adding more capacitors in
 MG> parallel with C1, with a closer observation you see that by adding
 MG> capacitors he was getting CLOSER to proper tune. I believe this is what
 MG> happening because he would have had to reduce primary inductance to
 MG> maintain proper tune and he never mentions anything about that!!! 
 MG> If I remember right, he got about a 6 - 8" spark which is pretty poor.
 MG> However, I think that article is what really sparked (no pun) a 
 MG> renewed interest in Tesla coils.

 Te> One more question for the group. I am going to build a ground
 Te> system as I have read about in
 Te> the postings here. I would like to put the rods under a wooden deck to
 Te> keep them out of the way.  The deck has a 3/4 inch Natural gas line
 Te> under it would this be a danger to the line or the deck?  (sure don't
 Te> need to blow up my house!!!) My bigest coil now uses 4- 12000- 30 ma
 Te> transformers. Any help would be appreciated.

 Te> Brad McPeak

 MG> It probably wouldn't be a problem if the rods where kept away from
 MG> the gas line by at least a foot or so.


                                Mark Graalman

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