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Re: Rotary Spark Gap Design
On Mon, 20 May 1996 16:09:57 -0600, Tesla List
<tesla-at-poodle.pupman-dot-com>, you wrote:
>From: Richard Hull <hullr-at-whitlock-dot-com>
>To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
>Subject: Re: Rotary Spark Gap Design
>Just think radio, backwards. We wish to do the most ruinous thing to an
>RF radiative signal at all times. All the power to total loss, in air,
>at the end of the antenna with not so much as a pico-watt of radiative
>energy leaving the vacinity. (ideal Tesla coil)
>
All,
I've watched my Radio Shack VSWR/Relative Power meter while
running my TC. (was 15kV 60mA neon, 16nF cap ...) As I increased the
voltage to my neon the relative field strength increased up to about
3.0. The INSTANT sparks broke out, the meter dropped to 1 or 1.1 (1 is
the zero point on a SWR bridge)
At this point most of the energy is now being converted into heat,
light and sound, instead of just rattling the aether.
I've also noted that I can read the RF field strength with my Simpson
760 VOM on AC. About 3 V pp and then drops. I would guess that any
VOM or tube based Volt meter would work. Don't try this with a fancy
transistor, fet, or digital meter, several people have smoked them
just by having them in the same area!
Regards,
jim