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Re: shocking questions

Subject: 
        Re: shocking questions
  Date: 
        Sat, 29 Mar 1997 13:39:59 -1200
  From: 
        Ken Smith <ksmith-at-ihug.co.nz>
    To: 
        Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>


>The problem is, we are getting a substantial shock from the sparks
>pulled off the secondary. Kind of takes some of the fun out of it.
>
>Does anyone have an idea why this is occuring? Basic wiring 
>diagram is out of the nic.funet site, nothing strange. I KNOW 
>we have a substantial ground for the secondary..why the shock? 
>
Owch,
        This is nasty and nasty.  The only thing I can think of is your
wording about *pulling* sparks off the secondary.  What are you doing -
holding a broomstick with a earth lead on it ?  This is not a good idea
(if
that is what is happening).  With your sort of setup (which is nearly
identical to mine) you can get whacked in all sorts of ways if you let
yourself get in contact with a spark even seperated by lots of
material.  As
I understand it conventional insulators are not at all effective at TC
secondary output voltages. 

In my machine I have a safety string connected to me and the wall socket
(a
variation of the safety switch on my Jetski - I fall off the motor
stops. I
try to move too close it pulls the plug out of the wall). I have tried
the
idea of having the socket in your hand and a short lead, but on an
extended
run, using the scope for tuning or whatever, you have to let go of that
and
then you can forget that she is running, particularly at lower power or
if
out of tune. The secondary crack is lost in the noise of the spark gap
blower / sucker.

My recurrent nightmare is forgetting to unplug if I am adjusting the
primary
or having a big blue one hit me.

This is not terribly relevant (perhaps) to your present situation, but
to
get a shock you must be either too close or connected in some way.  

A half decent TC running in (or out) of tune is a very dangerous piece
of
hardware and demands healthy respect in regards to safety distance and
procedure. No doubt the more experienced on this list will fill in and
correct the detail. In my life I have been shelled, shot at and SAMed
and
that got pretty hairy since I had no control over it.  I honestly
believe
and understand that my TC could be equally hazardous, but I do have
control
- so I see it as a problem of procedure and understanding rather than
chance.

If you want to see how far she will spark, run a earth from the roof or
whatever and move the TC or earth around on various runs.  Sure you
don't
get quite the same spark distance, but it is all relative.  Failing that
I
am sure someone else will tell you what to use to do a *draw* without
getting the shocks that you are now experiencing.  In short *STOP*.

In my view 'coilin' is a great hobby, but the shocks should be financial
-
not physical.

Ken

Ken Smith
Weymouth
Auckland 
http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~ksmith
ksmith-at-ihug.co.nz