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Re: Straight Spark

Subject:  Re: Straight Spark
  Date:   Tue, 20 May 1997 12:47:14 -0500
  From:   Mike Hammer <mhammer-at-misslink-dot-net>
    To:  Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>


At 09:27 AM 5/19/97 -0500, you wrote:
>Subject:  Straight Spark
>  Date:   Mon, 19 May 1997 08:13:43 -0400 (EDT)
>  From:   tesla-at-america-dot-com (Bob Schumann)
>    To:   tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
>    CC:   USA-TESLA-at-list.usa-dot-net
>
>
>Howdy coilers,
>
>I am recently working on a baby coil and using the
>6kv-at-23ma transformer and .005uf cap that came
>originally with my Information Unlimited kit. I
>made an inverted cone primary from house grouding wire
>and would a new secondary on a polyethylene tube.
>I am using a brass doorknob as my discharge terminal
>since the system doesn't have that much power and the
>sparks can easily 'breakout' from the brass doorknob.
>The sparks 'run' around the brass sphere and I have
>seen some nice banjo effects - probably from not being
>in good tune. Everyting is thrown together and sits on 
>the floor. My spark gap is 3 3/4 inch diameter copper
>tubes balanced on some insulators from an electric fence
>setup. As I got closer in tune and couplings, I noticed a
>very strange effect. The brass doorknob did have numerous
>discharges running around it, but when I reached a certain
>tuning point, all spark discharges came together as one.
>The one spark had absolutely no branches. The spark was
>perfectly straight and the only movement was at the very
>end of the spark which had a small whip-like movement at
>the very end. The spark stayed in place on the doorknob
>for about 10 seconds and then broke back into the scattered
>discharges running around the doorknob as previous. Has
>anybody ever seen this effect? Why was the spark straight ?
>
>I am going to see if I can re-create this at will (sorry Will)
>and take some pics.
>
>Bob Schumann
>


Bob,
I have had this effect many times. I call it a single
tentacle streamer. It only seems to form when using
a spherical terminal. I have never had it on a toroid.

If you can get one to last a while and look closely you will see its
much thicker than a normal streamer and rotates. I imagine its due
to the rising heated air. I have had them as thick around as your finger
and 2 feet long and lasting 30 seconds.

TTYL!
Mike Hammer
mhammer-at-misslink-dot-net