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problems with my first coil
From: engineer[SMTP:engineer-at-techinter-dot-com]
Reply To: engineer-at-techinter-dot-com
Sent: Saturday, July 12, 1997 3:38 AM
To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: problems with my first coil
Hello everyone, First I'd like to thank everyone who answers this in
advance. I just finished my first TC, and I'm having a few problems. I
bought a kit from Information Unlimited and now realize it was not worth
the money. Anyways it's got a 6000V-at-23mA transformer and the secondary
is PVC 12" high and 3" in diameter. The primary has 6 turns of
insulated #12 wire with 3 turns of bare #12 wire for tuning. I've tried
both a toroid (4" diameter sewer tubing forming a donut of about 15" in
diameter, styrofoam center, all wrapped in aluminum tape) and a 8"
diameter aluminum sphere, but I can't get any arcs more than an inch or
two. And I don't get any spark at all unless I have a grounded object
that close to it.
Do I need more turns in the primary for additional adjustment?
When I run my coil occasionally something will flash inside the box(all
components are encased in a grounded metal box below the primary and
secondary) will arc and make a loud POP! I cannot see where it is coming
from other than it is near the spark gap. I don't have any wires going
near it other than for the choke. Any ideas on what this might be?
Also the wire I use to send the current pulse to the primary became
enveloped in tiny arcs for about an inch if it laid near the edge of the
box. I inspected the wire and there was no break in its insulation. I
assumed that the voltage in the wire was high enough to jump through the
wire to ground. Is there a *special* kind of insulated wire to use with
high voltages?
Any of you guys happen to live in the Chicagoland area?
Thanks again,
Brian Whildin (engineer-at-techinter-dot-com)