Re: dying neons

To: "'Tesla List'" <tesla-at-poodle.pupman-dot-com>
Subject: Re: dying neons
From: Tesla List <tesla-at-stic-dot-net>
Date: Sun, 31 Aug 1997 23:42:10 -0500
Approved: tesla-at-stic-dot-net

From: 	Felix[SMTP:73374.1547-at-CompuServe.COM]
Sent: 	Sunday, August 31, 1997 11:33 PM
To: 	tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: 	Re: dying neons

Kevin, I'm struggling with the same problem so I'll tell you what I've
been advised so far. First, the safety gap which protects the neons 
should be set just wide enough that it isn't fired by the normal
neon output with no Tesla action. Then, there is a prevailing 
opinion in favor of bypass capacitors, from each of the two HV
lines to ground 300 to 500 pf each. Regarding RFCs (chokes) I've
found a range of opinions in the last few days, some saying you
need 5 to 10 millihenries, others saying much less is enough.
Another protective measure is to have high-wattage resistors in 
the 300 to 3000 ohm range in each HV line between chokes and bypass
caps; these are to damp out oscillations which may otherwise be
excited in the chokes and bypass caps. And two more things: I'm 
told to keep the main spark gap below about 0.4 to 0.45 ins (for
12 kv neons), also to tune the Tesla at low voltage (e.g. with 
a much smaller main spark gap) because being out of tune causes 
more hazard to the neons.
There, I've relayed all the hints that more experienced coilers
have given me on this problem over the last week. I'm in the
process of implementing all these things myself. Oh, and it's
possible that your chokes had internal arcing short-circuiting 
their impedance---that's possible if you have multiple layers
with insufficient insulation between. We're choking what could
be 50 or more kv spikes.   So, good luck and keep in touch!  Felix