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Re: New Testing
From: Robert W. Stephens[SMTP:rwstephens-at-headwaters-dot-com]
Reply To: rwstephens-at-headwaters-dot-com
Sent: Thursday, September 11, 1997 10:16 PM
To: Tesla List
Subject: Re: New Testing
>
> From: Esondrmn-at-aol-dot-com[SMTP:Esondrmn-at-aol-dot-com]
> Sent: Wednesday, September 10, 1997 7:55 PM
> To: tesla-at-poodle.pupman-dot-com
> Subject: New Testing
>
> Well, I fired up my coil again tonight after a few months of waiting for the
> replacement Condenser products capacitor. It arrived a few days ago and was
> installed with a spark gap across it set at about 1.0". I also recently
> rebuilt my ground system using solid copper flashing to interconnect all the
> ground rods and to the base of the secondary - only maybe 4.0 feet from the
> base of the secondary to the ground system.
>
> Using a 14.4 kv, 5kva pole pig and a 220 amp lincoln welder with superior
> powerstat for primary power. I have a switch system set up to switch in
> resistor elements in parallel with the welder. All switches off is 22 ohms
> in parallel with the welder and all switches on is 3.3 ohms in parallel with
> the welder. I set the welder on low and the rotary on low speed.
>
> When I first powered it up, the primary current in to the pole pig was about
> 12 amps. The gaps would only fire erratically even at full variac voltage.
> I tried switching in more resistive load in parallel with the welder and the
> gaps almost quit firing altogether with all elements on - about 3.3 ohms. I
> unplugged the resistive element bank so the welder was on it's own. As I
> increased the variac voltage, the gaps started firing erratically again and
> the spark gap across the main (.025 mfd) cap started firing. Someone said
> this would be very loud and they are right, no mistaking if it is firing or
> not.
>
> I tried different tap settings on the primary and did not have much luck.
> Still can't get the gaps to fire smoothly. The coil is trying to tell me
> something and I just don't seem to get it. I have been having problems with
> this system for the last year, every since I rewired all the primary
> interconnects by replacing the wire (two pieces of RG213 in parallel) with
> 3/8" copper tubing. This coil used to run very well and has produced 80"
> discharges.
>
> I thought maybe the RG213 high voltage feed lines to the coil maybe shorting
> internally but I should see high primary current draw if that is the case. I
> have checked all the primary wiring probably a dozen times and can't find a
> problem. I am ready to take all the copper tubing back out and rewire all
> the primary interconnects with wire again. I have three static gaps in
> series with the rotary gap. The coil originally ran fine with these in the
> circuit and I thought it would help quenching - should I pull them out? They
> are set at .030" each.
>
> After I shut the system down for the night, I checked the rotary gap
> carefully and found the gap between the stainless steel acorn nuts on the
> polycarb disc and the fixed (2) tungsten electrodes to be a bit wider than I
> would like. The disc doesn't run perfectly true so I need a bit more gap
> than I would like. The total was probably about .150 to .200". I closed it
> down as close as possible without it hitting. The total gap now is probably
> .100" plus the three .030 static gaps for maybe .190" total. Will the system
> be this sensitive to gap distance setting?
>
> Anyone have any ideas?
>
> Thanks, Ed Sonderman
>
Ed,
Where you running a mains synchronous rotary and by chance did you
somehow do something to disturb the 60 Hz mains phase angle of points
presentation?
rwstephens