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Re: Rotary Gap Electrodes - A first-hand experience
Tesla List wrote:
>
> > Subject: Re: Rotary Gap Electrodes - A first-hand experience
>
> >From bturner-at-apc-dot-netTue Nov 19 21:46:12 1996
> Date: Tue, 19 Nov 1996 01:07:16 -0800
> From: open_minded <bturner-at-apc-dot-net>
> To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Subject: Re: Rotary Gap Electrodes - A first-hand experience
>
<SNIP>
>
> Just an update here -- I successfully lit up the coil (electrically...!!) tonight.
> The 3/16" rods work OK, but after about 45 seconds, tips still heat to red-orange
> temperature, and the ablation is still quite high.
>
> The good news is that the coil is *really* humming! I do get a very nice spark
> tone out of it now, and the wild, frantic discharges are a sight to see! Even
> better, tonight's tests resulted in repeated strikes to a grounded object of 72",
> which is 6" better than previous runs. (winding is only 22" tall!)
>
> I am going to take you up on your suggestion about using a blower on the gap
> electrodes. Tomorrow will find me on the road to C&H in Pasadena in an attempt
> to find a good, high static-pressure blower. Nozzles will be fitted to the rotary
> gap, and the air supply will commence via vinyl hose from the blower to the coil.
>
> As a side note, I tried an idea which works quite well, and looks spectacular:
> make a ring out of 1/4 to 3/8" copper tubing such that it sits about 1/4 the way
> over the toroid. The sparks will break out all around the tubing and congeal into
> only a few heavy streamers that move all around the toroid. The lower breakout
> potential lowers the spark length a bit, but it sure looks fantastic.
>
> - brent
Brent,
Thanks for the update! I Like the idea about putting the copper tubing
on the toroid - I've got an old primary strikering from my older 6" coil
that ought to work great! 72" from a 22" coil is major league
performance!
Safe coilin' to ya!
-- Bert --