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RE- Violet Ray Tesla Coil
Subject: RE- Violet Ray Tesla Coil
Date: Tue, 03 Jun 1997 08:18:00 GMT
From: robert.michaels-at-online.sme-dot-org (Robert Michaels)
Organization: Society of Manufacturing Engineers
To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
The construction you describe is virtually identical to that
of the high-vacuum leak testers widely used in laboratories
and available from dealers in chemistry/physics apparatus.
How accurate it is to characterize these as Tesla
coils is highly questionable -- tho I won't re-
peat my diatribes on the subject here (you're
welcome).
When purchased new, the vacuum-leak testers come with dire
warnings about not using the adjustment knob to turn the
tester on and off. I'm here to tell you the warnings are
not without basis:
| Use the adjustment knob as an on-off control |
| and suffer the consequences. You have been |
| warned. This is the voice of experience. |
| |
It is my sense that the coils sold for violet-ray use are
not as powerful as those sold as vacuum-leak testers al-
though they appear to be similarly-constructed.
Yours for truth in coiling,
in -- Detroit, USA
Robert Michaels
T> From: "Alfred A. Skrocki" <alfred.skrocki-at-cybernetworking-dot-com>
T> To: Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
T>Hi all, I purchased another hand held "Violet Ray" machine at a
T>flea market over the weekend for $5.00. The unit didn't work at all
T>so I opened it up and studied the insides, below is an ASCII
T>schematic of what I found. Please excuse the ASCII art!
T> | |
T> socket for evacuated tubes ---> | |
T> |___|
T> )
T> )
T> )
T> )
T> ) S
T> )
T> __________________)
T> VG ____ _|_ )
T> | | ___C )P
T> #( |__|__________)
T> C #( |
T> O #( |
T> I #( |
T> L #( |
T> | |
T> 115V
T> AC
T>There is an iron core coil connected at one side of it's windings to
T>the line. The other side of the coil connects to a vibrating armature
T>almost identical to those found on the old induction coils. The
T>stationary contact of the interrupter is connected to a 5 turn tesla
T>coil primary P made of 2 no.20 double cotton coated wires, the other
T>side of the primary is connected to the tesla coil secondary S which
T>is very fine wire (No.36 - 40) wound on a wooden form 3/4 inch in
T>diameter and 2 1/2 inches long. the primary also connects to the
T>moving contact of the interrupter and there is a paper capacitor C
T>across the vibrating spark gap VG. There is an adjusting screw that
T>pushes the moving armature of the vibrating spark gap closer to or
T>further away fro the stationary contact. The spring was over bent in
T>the unit I purchased so I rebent it back into position. The unit then
T>worked and yielded snappy thin bluish white sparks about 2 inches in
T>length at the best position of the adjustable control. Sorry I can't
T>provide any measured values for the inductance, capacitance, voltages,
T>ect. but one of my kids stole my multimeter! Grrrrrr. The unit is
T>about 10 inches long and 2 inches in diameter and made of black
T>bakelite, it looks identical to the Tesla coil vacuum testers except
T>it is designed to hold evacuated glass tubes instead of the pointed
T>metal probe. The only markings on the unit were;
T> 20w 115V
T> No. M66
T> The Master Electric Co. Chicago
T>I find their use of a vibrating spark gap in series with the line
T>through a choke to be interesting. Its circuit looks identical to the
T>circuit described in Thomas Stanley Curtis's "High Frequency
T>Apparatus" 1916 (reprinted by Lindsay Publications 1988)in chapter
T>VIII "Kicking Coil Apparatus".