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Re: Cheap Improvements (fwd)



---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 1 Mar 1997 23:08:32 -0500
From: Thomas McGahee <tom_mcgahee-at-sigmais-dot-com>
To: Littlegrom-at-aol-dot-com
Cc: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: Cheap Improvements (fwd)



----------
> From: Tesla List <mod1-at-pupman-dot-com>
> To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Subject: Cheap Improvements (fwd)
> Date: Saturday, March 01, 1997 4:15 PM
> 
> 
> 
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Fri, 28 Feb 1997 22:47:09 -0500 (EST)
> From: Littlegrom-at-aol-dot-com
> To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Subject: Cheap Improvements
> 
> All,
> 
> I am currently doing a physics project on Tesla Coils.  Right now I am
using
> a flat pancake primary and a 4 inch secondary.  I am getting over a meter
> long streamers of the top, but I would like to improve this.  Right now I
am
> making a new 6 inch secondary with p.v.c pipe.  I have also made a vacum
> spark gap that also almost doubled peformance.  I want to know if there
is
> any other fairly cheap improvements I could make without getting a high
> voltage line and expensive transformers.  Also if anyone has more
information
> on using two tesla coils at once could they please help me.  Looking
forward
> to your answers.
> 
> Paul Schiefer

Paul,
Sounds like you are doing quite well so far! Here are the low cost things
you can do:

Use good RF wiring techniques for the wiring that comprises the tank
circuit.
This includes EVERYTHING after the Neon transformer. Do *not* use any wire
smaller
than #10. Do *not* use braided wire or stranded wire. If possible, use 1/4
inch
copper tubing for the interconnect wiring, and keep the interconnect wiring
as short
and as straight as possible.

The above will insure that the maximum energy gets circulated within the
tank circuit.
The reason for not using stranded or braided wire has to do with losses due
to the
skin effect.

Wherever possible use soldered connections. Any non-soldered connections
should be
large surface area contacts. Clean the contact areas periodically to keep
the resistance as low as possible.

Make sure you have the primary properly tuned. It is imperative that the
variable connection be made with a large surface area contact that is on
*clean* copper. If possible, use some kind of a compression fitting.

The spark gap is crucial! Keep surface area large. Avoid pointed surfaces.
Use LARGE electrodes that are fairly massive. COOL the gaps with forced
air. For maximum bang for the buck, try to design your gaps so that the
forced air goes right through the gaps themselves, as this helps the
quenching. Use many gaps. If at all possible, keep the current flow path of
the spark gap straight rather than curved. It is very useful if one of the
gap elements is variable to aid in the tuning.

Use an excellent RF ground for the bottom of the secondary, and keep it
separate
as much as possible from the regular AC ground.

Use a toroid whose outside diameter is at least three times the width of
the secondary.
If you have a secondary that is greater than 10 inches, then use a toroid
whose outside diameter is at least two times the width of the secondary.

Adjust the position of the toroid such that it "shades" the top of the
secondary coil. This will prevent streamers from breaking out from the top
of the secondary winding.

Hope you find some of this useful

Fr. Tom McGahee