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Re: New Testing


From: 	Esondrmn-at-aol-dot-com[SMTP:Esondrmn-at-aol-dot-com]
Sent: 	Friday, September 12, 1997 8:43 AM
To: 	tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: 	Re: New Testing

In a message dated 97-09-12 05:10:07 EDT, you write:

Fr. Tom,

Thanks for the comments.  Some more answers below:

<< 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.
 > 
 
 BANGGGGGG! And it reverberates in your mind for a while!!
 But if the gap across the safety on the cap is firing, then that
 means that your regular spark gap must be open larger than the safety
 gap. You ain't supposed to do that, Ed!!! Sounds like the sum total
 of rotary and series gaps is excessive. Try reducing the number of
 series gaps.

I think my total gap distance was only about .290 or maybe .300" and the gap
across the capacitor is set to about 1.0".  I assumed the gap across the cap
fired due to an out of tune condition.  I will try taking the static gap out
of the circuit.
 
 > 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.
 > 
 
 Did you try firing the gaps with the primary winding shorted? If they
 won't fire that way, then there is something truly strange going on.
 You also didn't mention whether the secondary was producing any arc
 when the gaps DID fire. Too many unknowns here for me to tell you
 much of what might be the problem. I assume of course, that the
 circuit is wired up correctly.

I did not try it with the primary shorted - yet.  The secondary was producing
maybe three foot discharges.  I believe the circuit is wired correctly. 
 
 But here is my guess based on what I have been able to glean from
 your post. Do you have any burns across your gaps? If the material
 supporting a gap burns it conducts like a large, EXTREMELY LOSSY
 RESISTOR. You would notice that the regular spark gaps were weak and
 purple or red instead of the usual hot white. Or them may be white,
 but wimpier than usual. Look for any burning or charring of wood or
 plastic, especially at the spark gaps. If there is any of this burn
 resistance, then the rest of the spark gap system would actually be
 firing EARLY, but with a very low current. In other words, the system
 would be sapping itself of energy in a sort of slow fizzle prior to
 what would have been the big bang (had there been enough energy
 left). My gut reaction is that something like this must be going on
 in your system. Remember that conduction can take place INSIDE of an
 insulator and you might not see it. Try to eliminate the major
 variable by totally removing the series gaps. If the problem goes
 away, then you probably have some burn resistance at work in the
 series gaps. In that case, remove all metal parts from the series
 gaps and re-build them.

I did look at the static gaps to accertain their condition but will look
closer to see if there is any copper or otherwise shorting material built up
on the supporting plastic.
 
 > 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.
 > 
 
 Yeah, pull 'em out.... but for the reasons outlined above.

 
 > 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?
 > 
 
 Not on a rotary. The gap distance is a moving target in a rotary.
 Such wobble in the spark system will not adversely affect the basic
 operation, though it will affect the nature of the output spark a
 trifle. Often makes for a more "interesting" output spark.
 
 > Anyone have any ideas?
 > 
 > Thanks,  Ed Sonderman
 > 
 > 
 
 Hope this helps or gives you some more ideas.
 Fr. Tom McGahee
  >>