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Limiter problem
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From: Barton B. Anderson [SMTP:mopar-at-mn.uswest-dot-net]
Sent: Wednesday, April 08, 1998 10:35 PM
To: Tesla List
Subject: Limiter problem
DC or anyone else familiar,
I think I may have a problem with my limiter. It's a cut
core variac type. A week ago when hooked up a polepig
jacobs ladder, I was getting nice "fat" climbing arcs.
The saga ----- I mounted the limiter in the control
panel and ran the coil a weekend ago outside the garage.
When I began, I couldn't remember which side of the
limiter I hooked up my stationary contact, so I figured
I would just start with the dial center. It worked but
more power off the Toroid than I wanted. Well, I went to
increase inductance on the limiter. Since I didn't know
which way to go, I thought I would go one direction half
way between center and winding end (25% or 75%) and let
the coil tell me which way was more or less inductance.
Well, needless to say, I went the wrong way and when I
increased voltage, at some point I got a loud 60hz
stressing hum from the limiter. I of course turned it
down. No smoke or smell, so I dialed the limiter to the
opposite direction. The coil was still putting out a lot
of juice but no loud hum from the limiter. I didn't run
it long since arcs were going down the secondary. I
powered down. I wanted to add more limiting before I
begin the tuning process.
Tonight I tried my jacobs ladder, but was getting a
wimpy arc. Nothing like it should be generating. More
like light bulbs used as a ballast. Hookup hasn't
changed (except a very large 30A line filter). I'm
thinking I've either degraded the limiter in some way or
the filter is loading. I left my meter at work today so
I thought I'd post my problem.
Any clues,
|_Bart_|