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30MHz Spark Gap Testing - Is this real??




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From:  D.C. Cox [SMTP:DR.RESONANCE-at-next-wave-dot-net]
Sent:  Tuesday, April 07, 1998 12:09 PM
To:  Tesla List
Subject:  Re: 30MHz Spark Gap Testing - Is this real??

to: Terry

Your work is very clever and quite timely.  I would urge you to consider
forwarding a copy to Harry Goldman for publication in a future edition of
TCBA News.  We have always used a xmfr / SG parallel configuration with the
cap in series downstream.  This seems to provide optimum life for NST and
potential xmfrs when operated as a power source for Tesla oscillators.  If
you test setup is still active you might repeat your experiments adding the
secondary coil and setting its discharge path to a short 3-4 inches.  It
would be interesting to see what effect this extra "load" has on the data. 
Please keep us on the list posted.

DR.RESONANCE-at-next-wave-dot-net

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> From: Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
> To: 'Tesla List' <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
> Subject: 30MHz Spark Gap Testing - Is this real??
> Date: Monday, April 06, 1998 8:02 AM
> 
> 
> ----------
> From:  terryf-at-verinet-dot-com [SMTP:terryf-at-verinet-dot-com]
> Sent:  Sunday, April 05, 1998 11:44 PM
> To:  Tesla List
> Subject:  30MHz Spark Gap Testing - Is this real??
> 
> Hi All,
> 	I believe that I have made a new and significant discovery regarding
spark
> gap operation.  My experiments, which deal with the measurements of
voltages
> and currents in the primary circuit, have shown that the operation of the
> spark gap is not that of a simple switch.  
> 	It is generally believed that when the voltage across the spark gap
reaches
> a certain level that current passes through the gap and super heats the
air
> creating a virtual short across the gap.  This short remains in place
until
> the primary circuit losses energy and the super heated air region can no
> longer be maintained.  At this point, the resistance is believed to rise
and
> the gap "quenches" and the resistance returns to a very high level. 
Typical
> measurements performed with relatively low bandwidth equipment more or
less
> have demonstrated this phenomena.  Once the gap has closed, the current
> through the gap is assumed to be a simple decaying sine wave.
> 	When equipment capable of much higher bandwidth is employed this picture
> seems to change dramatically.  When one terminates a quality antenna into
> the proper 50 ohm impedance the fundamental signal seems overwhelmed by
> heavy noise spikes.  This explains why a simple wire is often used as a
> scope probe to receive primary waveforms as opposed to a higher quality
> antenna system.  The simple wire and its very poor impedance matching to
the
> input of an oscilloscope attenuate these noise signals so that only a
nice
> clean signal is left.   
> 	If one uses a high bandwidth properly terminated antenna, a series of
noise
> spikes are seen (my testing was done without the secondary inductor in
> place).  Careful examination will show these spikes appear as a series of
> noise bursts that occur at the peaks of the fundamental frequency.  The
> power of these noise bursts is vastly higher than the fundamental
waveform.
> In my testing, I have found that these burst consist of ~50MHz signal
bursts
> that persist for about 100nS and then fall off to a much lower level. 
The
> power of these bursts is remarkable.  Early testing has shown that, even
at
> low voltage levels, these bursts may reach many hundreds of amps at the
> ~50MHz frequency.  By far the most powerful burst is the very first one.
> Typical scope photos often show this as a vertical line that occurs just
at
> the beginning of conduction.  My equipment has not been able to measure
the
> level of this spike with great accuracy but it appears to be around 400
amps
> which is remarkable considering the relatively low 2000 volt spark gap
> setting.  What is even more remarkable is that the current outside this
> burst appears to be close to zero.  In other words the full current in
the
> primary seems to be conducted only in these short bursts.  
> 	Others and I have measured nice sine wave currents in the primary system
> before.  So how can the preceding be true?  I fear we have been tricked
by
> the low frequency response of the equipment we used and the classical
> impulse response of those systems.  These energy bursts can easily act as
> pure impulses which will excite a low bandwidth system producing sine
waves.
> We may have only been seeing the heavily damped response of these current
> bursts.
> 	What are the implications if this is true?  If the primary circuit is
doing
> all of its work at ~50MHz and at hundreds, if not thousands, of amps at
that
> frequency, everything changes!  The conductors must be short, wide,
copper
> strips.  The capacitors must be able to withstand even greater stresses
than
> we ever imagined.  And the spark gaps... who knows?  This would imply
that a
> much better spark gap or other switching system may give much better
> performance.  EMI becomes a major concern.  At 200KHz it is easy to
> disregard EMI.  At 50MHz all kinds of problems can arise.  
> 	I have written a paper on all this.  It is available in Word 97 format
and
> as an HTML web document at:
> 
> http://www.peakpeak-dot-com/~terryf/tesla/experiments/experiments.html
> 
> Look at the 30MHz Primary Circuit Measurements section.  You may want to
> save the graphics and view them with a viewer to get the highest
resolution.
> The main page is: 
> 
> http://www.peakpeak-dot-com/~terryf/tesla/main.html
> 
> 	I realize this is a rather dramatic change in the way we all look at
> primary circuits.  I have tried my best to confirm this.  Unfortunately,
I
> seem to be rather alone in my ability to probe into these regions so
> independent confirmation is difficult.  However, I am confident that the
> truth will be determined quickly.  As far as I can tell everything
appears
> to be working properly and all the results I have seen make sense and
appear
> very real.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Comments are very welcome.
> 
> 	terryf-at-peakpeak-dot-com
> or
> 	terryf-at-verinet-dot-com
>  
> 	
>         Terry
>