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O'scope hook-ups
From: Thornton, Russ #CSR2000[SMTP:ThorntoR-at-rc.pafb.af.mil]
Sent: Thursday, August 07, 1997 8:35 AM
To: 'Tesla discussion Group'
Subject: O'scope hook-ups
Hi guys,
I guess I have been a slacker here for while and not posting much but I
have 2 questions.
I built a coil many years ago and was pleased with the results but
really did not know what I was doing. I never did get any streamers
though as I did not know that was possible. Richard Quick's tape was an
eye opener, although I wear shoes when I play with electricity. <g>
The plethora of knowledge here is awesome and I have learned so much
that I am eager to try my hand at a second coil just as soon as time
permits. I am trying to finish building my house. Priorities, you know.
Question 1) With all the talk about measuring waveforms with an
O'scope, how are you guys insulating the scope from the high voltage and
the strong fields? All the HV probes I am aware of top out at the
40kV(DC) range. Do you make your own dividers or what?
Question 2) Before my Dad made me destroy my Tesla coil(long story) I
was playing around with the capacitor. I started with a single sheet of
1/8 plate glass with a sheet of galvanized steel on each side. Seemed
to work great and at the time I thought the corona around the plates was
neat looking. Anyway, to experiment I began to layer the capacitor and
I remember getting up to 3 sheets of glass.
The coil started up fine but with in a couple of seconds it shut down.
I found that one of the plates of glass had shattered, not in straight
shards but in beautiful French curves. This was the last time I fired it
up before I had to destroy it. Can anyone explain to me what had
happened?
That's it for now. As an Electrical engineer I am impressed with the
level of knowledge here, of which much is over my head. This is an
education!!!
Thanks
Russ
Russ Thornton
CSR 2040,
Building 989, Rm. A1-N20
Phone: (407) 494-6430
Email: thorntor-at-rs.pafb.af.mil