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Re: Latest magnifier results

Subject:     Re: Latest magnifier results
      Date: Mon, 09 Jun 1997 19:26:30 -0500
      From: Chuck Curran <ccurran-at-execpc-dot-com>
        To: Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
References: 1


Tesla List wrote:
> 
> Subject:  Latest magnifier results
>   Date:   Sun, 8 Jun 1997 09:15:37 +0000
>   From:  "Bert Pool" <bertpool-at-flash-dot-net>
>     To:   Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>, jgore-at-onramp-dot-net
>     CC:   bemery-at-why-dot-net
> 
> Wild Bill Emery and I built a new primary for our magnifier Saturday.
> We increased its diameter by a total of four inches which reduced
> coupling to an acceptable degree (nope, we have not yet measured the
> actual value).  This night's run we tested the new FOUR layer
> secondary and a new TWO layer resonator coil.  Did it work?
> 
> We are proud new entrants into the grand order of 10+ foot spark
> makers.  We couldn't be more excited.  Well, ok, if we'd gotten 15
> foot sparks, then we'd have been more excited.
> 
> We found that we could directly replace the 8.44 inch by 24 inch
> single layer resonator with the two layer resonator without retuning
> whatsoever.  The two layer coil does perform better than the single
> layer coil, though not to a dramatic degree.  We might see a bigger
> difference when we move up to larger capacitive top loadings.  We
> are getting constant ground strikes from our toroid, which is
> mounted over seven feet high.  Longest measured strike to ground was
> 10 feet, though we have streamers probably longer than that.  The
> neighbors loved it.  We even had neighbors on other streets load
> up their pickups with their kids and drive by to watch.
> 
> Our variac stcak suffered a very violent demise, complete with
> fireball and acrid smoke.  We crawled into the power cabinet and
> bypassed the variac so we were running directly off the contactors.
> "Variac?  What variac?  We don't need no stinking variac!"  Instant
> on, instant off.  Worked great.  We tripped our 60 amp circuit
> breaker countless times, usually when the output spark hit the
> transmission line and triggered a safety gap firing.
> 
> We experimented with using a piece of 10 inch wide aluminum flashing
> as a transmission line.  I expected horrendous corona off the edges.
> Nope, works very well, we saw no transmission line corona at all.  It
> seems that the same physics which allow flashing to serve as a good
> low impedence ground conductor also allow it to serve as an admirable
> low impedence high voltage transmission line for magnifier work.
> Downside:  it tens to flap a bit in light breezes.
> 
> Next on the agenda: a new 100 amp breaker has to be installed, and
> we'll try moving up on the top load capacitance.  We designed a new
> way of stacking our 36 by 8 inch toroids, so we'll probably next
> attempt two toroids.  We'll also be moving up our tank capacitance
> from 0.015 ufd to 0.03 ufd.  We're gonna leave the variac bypassed
> for now.
> 
> Bert Pool
> bertpool-at-flash-dot-net


Bert:

Sure sounds like you had one great night!  Super job on the neat sparks,
you must have had the neighbors pretty impressed.  The big sparks do
tend to make peoples jaws drop abit, especially when they are coming
from an individuals drive-way!  
Sorry to hear about the smoking variac stack, what size were they?  I'm
just wondering if you were really pushing them or was it something else
that caused the unexpected failure.  I had enough smoke already this
month so I just hope to learn from your test too!  Actually, sounds like
you might have won the smoke contest for this week! (feeble attempt at
humor).  Great job, I am really interested in your next report.  I'm
still trying to get enough time to repair my coil, not yet done.

Chuck Curran