RE: 'Scope yes/Fry, no

To: tesla-at-poodle.pupman-dot-com
Subject: RE: 'Scope yes/Fry, no
From: Tesla List <tesla-at-stic-dot-net>
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 1997 19:53:05 -0600
Approved: tesla-at-stic-dot-net
Subject: 
            RE: 'Scope yes/Fry, no
       Date: 
            Fri, 28 Mar 1997 15:03:33 GMT
       From: 
            robert.michaels-at-online.sme-dot-org (Robert Michaels)
Organization: 
            Society of Manufacturing Engineers
         To: 
            tesla-at-pupman-dot-com


-> I'd like to see some waveforms from my 12kx60ma 6" coil but I don't
-> know how to insure that I don't fry my scope.

        There are quite a few answers to your question.   That's
        the good new.  The bad news is -- you probably won't like
        any of them.

        -  You use a current probe.  Not a voltage probe.

                Current probes are part of the standard equippage
                of a working engineer - but are mysterious beings
                to the weekend diddler crowd.

        -  The 'scope itself goes into a well-shielded Faraday cage.
                
                You operate it remotely, thru the cage.
                                                               
        -  The 'scope really needs to be a vacuum-tube type.  Modern
                
                solid-state 'scopes are for fools or angels. 

       -  It needs to be powered by batteries (via an inverter) or by a
                engine-driven generator.  In other words =utterly=
                independantly of the the ac lines.

        -  You pray.  And use a 'scope you consider expendable.
                                                            

-> >From what I've seen so far, even if I turn it on from the next room,
-> if it didn't blow, I'd be looking at waveforms. :)

        - For sure.  And not a bad way to go.   Simply attach a pickup
                coil to the 'scope terminals.   Of course such measures
                what's floating around in the air, not what is surging
                thru the secondary windings.

-> While we're on the subject, (I know I was warned), I leave my PC
-> running about 50 feet (3 rooms) away and on different circuits. If
the
-> mouse is on a metal surface, it dies & I have to reboot to get it
-> back.  If it's on the mouse pad, no harm occurs.  I'm just wondering
-> the path the current is taking.  (50 feet through the slab, up
through
-> the metal desk,  through the mouse, to electrical chassis ground?)
                                            
         Yeh, yeh.  Sounds about right to me.

-> Thanking you all in advance,

          You're welcome.

-> David Christal 3341 Cloverdale Lane, Dallas, TX  75234
-> 214 349-6972 (214 FIX MY PC) (Pool Cues and Personal Computers)

                                        Robert Michaels - Detroit, USA

                                        (Tesla coils and Wild Women)