Re: More help on caps

To: "'Tesla List'" <tesla-at-poodle.pupman-dot-com>
Subject: Re: More help on caps
From: Tesla List <tesla-at-stic-dot-net>
Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 17:13:32 -0600
Approved: tesla-at-stic-dot-net

From:	ghunter-at-mail.enterprise-dot-net [SMTP:ghunter-at-mail.enterprise-dot-net]
Sent:	Tuesday, November 11, 1997 4:59 PM
To:	Tesla List
Subject:	Re: More help on caps

> To:            "'Tesla List'" <tesla-at-poodle.pupman-dot-com>
> Subject:       Re: More help on caps
> Date:          Tue, 11 Nov 1997 08:40:59 -0600
> From:          Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>

> 
> From:	Bert Hickman [SMTP:bert.hickman-at-aquila-dot-com]
> Sent:	Tuesday, November 11, 1997 8:45 AM
> To:	Tesla List
> Subject:	Re: More help on caps
> 
> Tesla List wrote:
> > 
> > From:   Chris Fileccia [SMTP:ChaoticD-at-swbell-dot-net]
> > Sent:   Tuesday, November 11, 1997 12:01 AM
> > To:     tesla-at-poodle.pupman-dot-com
> > Subject:        More help on caps
> > 
> > I have realised that I need to make my own caps for my first TC.
> > But, my delema is this. I know I can't make rolled caps. So I am left with
> > salt water or stacked. I have been thinking about using the bottle caps but
> > I would have to use a lot of them. Especialy at 43nF a six pack wow. Not
> > even close. One said to use .005 MF (5000 pF) and one said to use .03 mfd
> > and .02 mfd. Either way they are far apart from each other. Win Tesla says
> > the best cap to use is  0.0066uF.(That is another thing. I don't want to
> > sound stupid, but I know micro as a uF, is that the same thing as a mf.
> > I thought that was milli. Hmmmm.) Anyway I have read alot of material but I
> > am still confused. I like the siplistity of the bottle caps, but it seems
> > that they are inifecient. Plese corect me if I am wrong. I am tring to
> > learn as much as I can so I don't have any major disastors.
> > 
> > Also I have heard many discrepencies about the stacked caps. I am running
> > out of money, but I like to do things right.
> > 
> > "Firm beliver that education is the safest way"
> > But not nessesarly proper gramer or spelling:+}

Chris,

You have some confusion going on here.  First of all, a sixpack of
wine cooler caps will yield about 4.3nF, 1/10th the value you quoted.
(You can guestimate about 700 - 900pF per bottle.)  Also, 4.3nF is
bigger than you think--it's equal to 4300pF or .0043uF.  This is a
useful size capacitor for small, neon-powered coils.  If you need
more capacitance, just use two or more "sixpacks" in parallel.
Likewise, you could go with bigger bottles.  A single 750ml wine
bottle might yield as much as 2000pf (or .002uF).  Hope you get your 
coil working.  Hang in there.

Greg