New member with some questions looking for answers

To: "Chip's Tesla Mail List" <tesla-at-objinc-dot-com>
Subject: New member with some questions looking for answers
From: SKIP GREINER <sgreiner-at-wwnet-dot-com>
Date: Sat, 09 Mar 1996 15:28:17 -0800
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My name is Skip Greiner. I built my first coil at age 10, a little over
50 years ago. I am finally able to really get into coiling again and
am glad to be a part of this group. I am an electrical engineer who
has stayed current. I believe Tesla coil can be built by design rather
than by cut and try. Tesla didn't go to Colorado and cut and try to
build his big one.

Anyway, no more soap box stuff.

My most recent coil has the following specs:
Primary: 5 turns .25" copper tubing 18" diameter
Secondary: 288 turns #16 ga stranded machine tool wire on 12" x 36" form
Break: 1800 rpm synchronous  4 gap
Cap: .013 
Neon Xformer: 12kv -at- 60 ma
Top cap: 18" toroid sometimes used with an 8" ball
Discharges: nearly 48"

The problem: I want to increase the power input. I have attempted to
use 15 kv 120 ma neon as the source. I changed the cap to .021 and 
the primary to 3 to 4 turns. Resonance of the primary can be set very 
close to the original resonance of the the 5 turn primary with a .013
cap. The discharges will not surpass about 42".

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Question #2: Has anyone attempted to use refrigeration oil for caps.
This stuff is highly refined and the cost is around $10.00 per gallon.
A local refrigeration dealer sells a brand called Suniso 3GS.

SKIP