Re: Happy tune!

To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: Happy tune!
From: richard hull <rhull-at-richmond.infi-dot-net>
Date: Thu, 13 Feb 1997 00:16:54 -0500 (EST)
Subscriber: rhull-at-richmond.infi-dot-net Wed Feb 12 23:12:27 1997

At 10:25 PM 2/10/97 -0700, you wrote:
>Subscriber: MALCOLM-at-directorate.wnp.ac.nz Mon Feb 10 21:57:17 1997
>Date: Mon, 10 Feb 1997 08:08:24 +1200
>From: Malcolm Watts <MALCOLM-at-directorate.wnp.ac.nz>
>To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
>Subject: Re: Happy tune!
>
>Hi George,
>           Interesting observation.....
>
>> I ran my coil for a bit tonight and noticed something interesting. Max spark
>> is not the same as Happy tune.
>> 
>> I am getting consistent hot 4 footers to a grounded probe while the primary
>> is taped at turn 12. But the gaps fire irregularly and will eventually heat
>> and go to power arcing with no streamers visible. If i drop to the 11th turn
>> it runs smooth as silk, the gaps reach quiescence and all is well except 4
>> footers are rare. As consolation the show is a little better with 2 or 3
>> streamers instead of a single longer one..
>
>I have noticed exactly the same thing. The gaps and caps take a real 
>hammering with the erratic firing which appears to be caused by the 
>erratic retention of energy in the primary tank circuit (energy 
>retained increases the misfiring I think). I'd welcome other opinions 
>on this one.
>
>Malcolm 
>
>
Malcolm,

Yes indeed!!  If the gap starts heating your quench quickly goes to hell in
a hand basket! With increasing quench time the energy swap between the
primary and secondary just goes on too long and spark length drops off with
time rapidly.  I have seen this with a gap mad up of pointed nails which
would ultimately incandese and the spark out would drop to zip from an
original 3' at 1KW.

Richard Hull, TCBOR