Re: Thanks, Everyone !

To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: Thanks, Everyone !
From: Jim Fosse <jim.fosse-at-bdt-dot-com>
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 1996 05:59:57 GMT

>>From tahoetom-at-best-dot-comTue Jul  9 22:38:45 1996
>Date: Tue, 9 Jul 1996 17:55:30 -0700
>From: tom renko <tahoetom-at-best-dot-com>
[snip]
>         FIRST SPARK: (out of the box,no adjustments yet to the
>         primary tap, or the spark gap)........................
>         50" FAT white bolt to some hand tools sitting on a cardboard
>         box (go figure?)
Tom,
	you just bested my coil:)

> 	  Also, one of the bolts went AROUND the strike
>         rail, and hit the 50in. sq ground plane. Why did this happen?
>         Also, can someone tell me why a bolt went 1" over the strike
>         rail and then go another foot to the output of the neon? Our
>         electronic engineers at work say it is totally impossible. I
>         would love to know what is going on!!!

The minute you start "playing" with HV this will happen, if you figure
it out, write a book, become an ESD engineer and make a fortune! I've
done ESD testing on my companies products and have watched a 100pF
15kV "human body model" discharge travel 1" down a 0.050" wide circuit
board trace and then jump off to a component with only a 1/4" of trace
left to go. This effect is common enough to have been named: secondary
discharge. This was a DC discharge, change it to RF and ALL bets are
off! (as to what path it will take)

>
>         Anyway, again, thank you all for making my dream come true.
>         This is a great group, and maybe now, I can be one of the
>         "advisers" (beginning, that is). I might need some help to
>         DE-tune this thing...It's scares me a little!!!!!!

I would say so! Sort of like the way I felt, the night I was sitting
6' from my toroid, got a good tune and had an air discharge "stop" 2'
in front of my nose! I decided that retreat WAS the better part of
valor. (also known as saving my skin;)

Try narrowing your spark gap width. This will reduce the peak voltage
in the primary circuit, and therefor the secondary voltage. (I'm
guessing here, arcs are non linear, the reduced voltage (power) may
just reduce the fatness of the arc)

Try the system with only 1 neon. (lower power)

Go to a smaller toroid, it will break down sooner.

	Highest Regards,

	jim