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Re: smallest Tesl Coil

Subject:   Re: smallest Tesl Coil
  Date:    Sat, 3 May 1997 00:56:42 +0500
  From:    "Alfred A. Skrocki" <alfred.skrocki-at-cybernetworking-dot-com>
    To:    Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>


On Thu, 01 May 1997 10:26:42 +1000 Ralph Down
<rjdown-at-fan-dot-net.au> wrote;

> I was talking to a tech at the local neon sign shop about Tesla coils
> and he showed me a small hand held device which looked like one of
> those Mag lite torches. It had a label on the side which read "Tesla
> gas leak detector". It plugged into AC mains and made a 50 Hz buzz and
> a violet corona discharge appeared at the business end which was a sharp
> spike.  They use this for detecting gas leaks in neon tubes.

The unit you are talking about is identical inside to the Violet Ray
medical coils sold in the 1920's only difference is the Violet ray 
units used evacuated glass tubes instead of the metal point.

> I thought a good project would be to make the smallest Tesla coil rather
> than what everyone else seems to be doing (Making the largest Tesla
> coil). Has anyone made a small coil (hand held - battery operated)
> which gives impressive output? What would be a good selection of
> components eg capacitor size, winding details etc I thought maybe a
> NiCad power source driving an inverter to supply HV and then use
> standard spark gap and small primary coil would be a starting
> point. Any thoughts would be welcome.

I think you have a great idea Ralph! There are many potential uses 
for small Tesla coils; laser power supplies, more compact drivers for 
small neon signs, ect. If you look in Fords "Tesla Coil Secrets" 
available from Lindsay's or the International Tesla Societies book 
store, you will see a rather small Tesla coil that was made on a 
small test tube (250mm long X 30mm wide) I have made some small Tesla 
coils (secondary 75mm long X 35mm wide) one of which produced a one 
inch corona off of a 6X32 machine screw as its terminal. It was 
driven directly from the 120 mains and I used a paper capacitor and 
for the spark gap I used a relay with a screw to adjust the gap 
distance kind of a vibrating gap as aposed to a rotary gap the 
primary was about 6 turns of #20 wire wound right over the bottom of 
the secondary the whole unit was then dipped in wax.

                               Sincerely

                                \\\|///
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                               (  -at- -at-  )
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                           Alfred A. Skrocki
                   alfred.skrocki-at-cybernetworking-dot-com
                             .ooo0   0ooo.
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