Wireless ON/OFF for Tesla Coils- anyone done it?

To: "'Tesla List'" <tesla-at-poodle.pupman-dot-com>
Subject: Wireless ON/OFF for Tesla Coils- anyone done it?
From: Tesla List <tesla-at-stic-dot-net>
Date: Mon, 3 Nov 1997 23:28:20 -0600
Approved: tesla-at-stic-dot-net

From: 	Adam[SMTP:absmith-at-tiac-dot-net]
Sent: 	Monday, November 03, 1997 11:13 PM
To: 	tesla list
Subject: 	Wireless ON/OFF for Tesla Coils- anyone done it?

The other day, I was thinking back to a Richard Quick post, where Richard 
described the 60Hz house ground "The last line of defense" or something 
like that.  He was refering to situations where the discharge from the 
secondary could strike the primary, and the operator console, potentially 
subjecting the operator to primary circuit currents.

What I am wondering is anyone on the list has tried switching a coil on 
and off by remote, i.e. no wires or conductors connecting the user to any 
part of the system.  I was thinking of imploying a simple infra red 
system, whereby presence a specific infrared signal (from a tv-like 
remote control) would be used to switch power on through a suitably heavy 
relay in series with the normal SPST manual key switch.  Pressing the 
remote button and _holding_ would fire the coil, and releasing the button 
would cause immediate cutting of power.

Of course the receiver and relay circuit would have to be nearly fault 
proof, to avoid having a coil stuck in the on position for any reason, 
but this can certainly be safe guarded against by a good design.

Any comments and suggestions would be appreciated.

-Adam

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Adam Smith
absmith-at-tiac-dot-net
Epoch, Inc. Digital Music Project

www.tiac-dot-net/users/absmith/     Now with MP3!     Musik. Macht. Macintosh.
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