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Re: Wiring questions

 
        Re: Wiring questions
  Date: 
        Thu, 13 Mar 1997 06:49:10 -0500 (EST)
  From: tesla-at-america-dot-com (Bob Schumann)
    To: Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>


>From: Nathan Lamphere <randyl-at-ronan-dot-net>

>Hello again-
>
>I am stuck once again in my effort to finish off my first coil.
>
>This is my list of components:
>
>9kV neon 30 ma
>salt water cap bank (Not measured yet, but should be around .0063uf)
>9 piece copper pipe spark gap spaced at .025"
>primary 3/8 inch copper tubing tapped at 8 turns
>secondary about 588 turns of 20 ga wire on a 6.375" tube
>
>What I am needing help on is how do I wire the components together? 
>What do I attach to ground, etc, etc.  I hope you have the time to
>explain this. If there is a good description/ diagram in the Tesla
>Archive, you could even direct me there.
>
>Thanks in advance.
>
>Nathan

Nathan,
        I am going to presume you have a mid-point grounded neon sign
transformer - most are these days. There is no electrical connection
between the primary and secondary circuit. The secondary wiring is
simple. The base of the secondary goes to a dedicated RF ground. I
learned the hard way by trying to use my AC house ground as my RF
ground. The secondary struck that ground one time and caused some
in-wall damage I had to repair. Don't do this! I eneded buying a ground
rod and put it in the yard with the sole purpose of it being a dedicated
RF ground. The case of the neon sign transformer (which is tied to the
transformer's mid-point ground) should also be tied to this dedicated
ground. The rest of the wiring I describe will be that of the spark gap
being parallel to the transformer and the primary cap in series.

Each HV output from the neon sign transformer goes to independent RF
chokes.
I hope you have some. These delay the death of the transformer. 

>From the RF chokes, connections are as follows:

>From one RF choke (pick one), there is an electrical connection to
the spark gap end AND to the base of the primary coil.

>From the other RF choke, there is an electrical connection to the
other spark gap end AND to one end of the primary capacitor.

The other end of the capacitor is connected to your tuning wire that
will be clipped on the primary windings.

Hope I explained this clear enough and it helps!

Bob Schumann

tesla-at-america-dot-com
http://www.america-dot-com/~tesla