Re: Spark Gap Replacements

To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: Spark Gap Replacements
From: Bert Hickman <bert.hickman-at-aquila-dot-com>
Date: Fri, 10 Jan 1997 07:07:30 -0800
Subscriber: bert.hickman-at-aquila-dot-com Sat Jan 11 10:19:13 1997

Tesla List wrote:
> 
> Subscriber: FutureT-at-aol-dot-com Wed Jan  8 22:52:13 1997
> Date: Wed, 8 Jan 1997 17:46:38 -0500 (EST)
> From: FutureT-at-aol-dot-com
> To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Subject: Re: Spark Gap Replacements
> 
<SNIP>

> Bert, as you know, your high powered fast-quench work is of great interest to
> me since my work was done at low power;   I was wondering how quickly your
> secondary rang down, after the gap quenched, for instance how many
> microseconds until amplitude dropped to 50% of the initial (after quench)
> free ringdown (I'll need to know your operating frequency again too)?  And
> did the free-ringdown have a steeply-swooping-down non-linear look to it?
>  The reason I ask, is that in my work, at lowest power, free-ringdown was
> linear and gradual, (high Q damped wave), but as I turned up the variac power
> just slightly, the free-ringdown petered out much more quickly due to a lower
> Q resulting from greater spark loading.  (of course we expect all this).  But
> at your power levels, I would expect the free-ringdown energy to drop
> extremely quickly, due to heavy loading and even lower operating Q's.
> 
> When your spark dropped to 1/2 the length at the 4th  notch or transfer
> point, did you try retuning to see if this might "recover" some of the lost
> spark length?
> 
> >Full input power runs about 3000-3200 Watts (26-27 Amps at 120 VAC,
>  >power factor corrected).
> 
>   >snip
>  >> >> > John  Freau
>  >> > Safe coiling to you as well, John!
>  >> >-- Bert --
> >>John Freau
> 
>  >True first-notch quenching should certainly be achievable with a
> > properly designed rotary gap, and even with an air-blast gap.
> 
> I tend to agree--it will be interesting to see just which designs lead to
> this elusive goal.   Thanks again for all the information.
> 
> > Safe coilin' to you, John!
> 
>  >-- Bert --
>   >>
> Safe and effective coiling!
> 
> John  Freau

John,

I'll have to see if I can run some of the above tests, maybe this
weekend. Will send an updated posting...

-- Bert --