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Re: Cap Size

At 08:54 PM 7/27/96 -0600, you wrote:
>>From ulflyer-at-juno-dot-comSat Jul 27 20:47:16 1996
>Date: Sat, 27 Jul 1996 14:15:53 PST
>From: Stephen G Stanton <ulflyer-at-juno-dot-com>
>To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
>Subject: Cap Size
>
>Hi all:  
>
>I've got my coil back in action with four banked 15kv neons at 30 ma
>apiece.  I'm using my old plate-glass-and-foil 90 lb cap which, when I
>first designed it, was 0.02 + or -.  The gap puts out a mighty roar
>indeed, and judging from the temperature of the line cord (from a
>microwave oven), it's drawing in the neighborhood of 18 to 20 amps.
>
>I believe I have the coil in resonance.  I don't really have a toroid;
>rather, it's two 10" salad bowls tackwelded together at the bead.  I get
>a wonderful writhing display of corona off the bowls, especially at the
>bead, and can draw out about a 14" arc at will.  Despite my best
>efforts, I can't get more, and yet, from what I am reading, with the 120
>ma or so going in, I should be getting much longer discharges.
>
>I was in the process of building my own a-la the 5 gallon bucket of oil
>and hundreds of baggies and foil, but I opted instead to go for the
>ready made variety -- seemed more cost-effective to me.  I took the
>plunge with the group purchase, but when it fell apart, I had second
>thoughts.  Now I'm wondering if I should go for the commercial cap to
>see if it will improve the discharge.  Am I on the right track, or is
>this a matter of not having the right toroid, or perhaps cleaning up the
>corona leakage?  Or, is it the gap?  I'm only using a simple series gap
>with 1/4-20 brass bolts, which seems to work nicely, but nowhere near as
>complex as the series gaps I've seen posted by Richard Quick.  As I open
>the gap, the discharge increases, but then I get ominous green flashes
>from the cap.  By past experience, this presages a punchthrough of the
>plate glass and then -- dismantle and cut and paste to fit around the
>shattered parts!
>
>Any advice at this point would be much appreciated.   I very much enjoy
>the postings on this net, and of course am enthralled by watching my
>coil do its thing in darkness!
>
>Thanks again.
>
>Stephen
>
>
Stephen, 
        Hi, I would like to make a sugestion on your toroid. Get some 4 inch
dryer duct (3 inch if your secondary is 4 inches or smaller)and make up one
with aluminum tape, experiment with the diameter. I think you will find that
it will improve your performance. My dad tried the salad bowl and could not
get it to work very well, we also have several nice stainless balls ranging
in size from about 8 inches to 15 inches and they do not work as well as the
dryer duct toriod. I think the stainless steel is not as conductive as the
aluminum(any comments on this from others?) but I dont know for sure. good
luck let me know how you come out.

Brad
Brad McPeak