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8 year project finally works
Subject: 8 year project finally works
Date: Wed, 11 Jun 1997 07:02:36 -0500
From: jmonty-at-mail.sat-dot-net (Jeff Montgomery)
To: Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Finally-arcs and sparks...
My coil project began in 1989 with the reading of a small coil
project article in 73 magazine. Looked like lots of fun and real easy, I
should have this whipped out in no time.....
8 years later....so I'm slow, ok?
The coil consists of a 3 foot x 6inch diameter poly tube threaded 20
turns
to the inch and filled with #24 and varnished heavily. A copper toilet
float
will soon be replaced with a real terminal (read toroid). The primary is
a
pancake coil of #6 at nine turns. Feeding this is a 15kv 60ma neon, a
couple
of surplus oil filled caps from an inductive welder conservatively rated
at
5kv and.004 uf and some ho'made rf chokes. My original variac was a 2.5a
and
it soon went up in flames, literlally. Replaced it with a 10a and it
seems
to be doing fine. The spark gap is an "air blast" consisting of a 3inch
to
1-1/2 inch pvc reducer, a couple of 1/4inch carriage bolts, assorted
nuts
and washers and the trusty shop vac. I have the coil in rough tune (heck
it's gotta be rough, I've never done this before) and I am getting
12-15"
arcs off the top. The wife and kid think I'm alright because I've been
talking about this for years and they never thought I would get around
to
making it work. T feel great because IT REALLY WORKS.
Now the big question....How can I make it bigger.
Wife says that since I like to sleep in doors it is big enough.
Guess She's right.
Thanks for listening to the rant.
Jeff Montgomery