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Re: Top 1/3
From: bmack[SMTP:bmack-at-frontiernet-dot-net]
Sent: Friday, September 05, 1997 11:33 PM
To: Tesla List
Subject: Re: Top 1/3
Mark,
Yes! The neon on the stick trick works very well indeed.
Gee, I thought it was my invention.... darn!
Neons are also handy resonance indicators if you have live
tuning capability.
Jim M
>
>
> From: Mark S. Rzeszotarski, Ph.D.[SMTP:msr7-at-po.cwru.edu]
> Sent: Thursday, September 04, 1997 7:36 AM
> To: Tesla List
> Subject: Re: Top 1/3
>
> Hello All,
> George W. Ensley said:
> >Malcolms puzzle got me thinking about the behavior
> >of a conventional TC's secondary coil. I was wondering
> >if it truly does act as a 1/4 wave transformer with a
> >nice smooth transformation from bottom to top. or
> >Could the ratio be somewhat misshapen by the effects
> >of coupling from the primary or a top load that is not
> >sized correctly.
> There is a simple method for taking a look at this visually if
you
> can operate your coil without spark breakout. Tape about 20 NE-2 neon
bulbs
> to a plastic rod, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Short the turns of
each
> individual bulb by twisting the leads together, but insulate the
connections
> between the bulbs. You now have a poor man's electric field wand which
you
> can move around a tesla coil operating at low power levels. The neon gas
> ionizes and turns on around 90 volts or so. If you do this next to a
well
> tuned tesla coil and slowly ramp up your power supply using a variac you
> will observe the quarter cycle voltage standing wave you expect. The
bulbs
> will light from the top of the secondary on down as the voltage is ramped
> up. The toroid on top will alter the field distribution somewhat
> (desireable), and you will get some extraneous fields from the vicinity
of
> the primary. My probe cost about $3.00 to construct, taking into account
> the 10 cent each NE-2's, electrical tape and the plastic wand. It is
well
> worth the investment, and can survive spark breakout unlike some of my
other
> test equipment.
> Regards,
> Mark S. Rzeszotarski, Ph.D.
>
>
>