My First Tesla Works!

To: tesla-at-poodle.pupman-dot-com
Subject: My First Tesla Works!
From: Tesla List <tesla-at-stic-dot-net>
Date: Fri, 30 May 1997 22:49:10 -0500
Approved: tesla-at-stic-dot-net

Subject:      My First Tesla Works!
       Date:  Fri, 30 May 1997 20:51:43 -0400
       From:  Tom Heiber <theiber-at-lonet.ca>
Organization: Power Surge
         To:  tesla-at-pupman-dot-com

Hey There Guys (and gals) my FIRST Tesla Coil Works. 
After painstakingly long hours of building it It Works!

WOW!

Well Here are the specs!

Power Supply: 12KV 60mA Neon Xfmr.
Spark Gap   : 2 bolts in series, cooled by a cooling fan
Cap         : Home-Made Salt-Water Caps -at- 9nF
Primary     : 9 Turns 1/4" copper tubing, tapped at 9 (needs more turns)
Seconday    : 2"x25" (I know, I know) ABS pipe wound with a 28AWG mag.
Toroid      : none (yet)

Well. After I have cooled down a bit. Here's my problem. 

I get about 12-15 inch sparks out of the wire on top. But As soon as I
put the Toroid on, nothing happens (no sparks, corona, nuthin')
I think that the problem is that the Primary needs more turns but Lemme
know if there is something else that I can improve. I know I have to
change the Secondary to a Lower D/H ratio. I am already in the works on
a 4" x 20" with 24AWG wire. My qestion is that..is a Blue PVC pipe as
good as any?

Well There You have it folks. Anyone can accomplish anything.

CYA

Tom Heiber

P.S. Build Time 1 month (6-7 hours a day)