coil costs

To: "'Tesla List'" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Subject: coil costs
From: Tesla List <tesla-at-stic-dot-net>
Date: Sun, 16 Aug 1998 11:09:43 -0500
Approved: tesla-at-stic-dot-net

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From:  Richard Hull [SMTP:rhull-at-richmond.infi-dot-net]
Sent:  Saturday, August 15, 1998 11:56 AM
To:  Tesla List
Subject:  Re: coil costs



Tesla List wrote:

> ----------
> From:  Gary Lau  14-Aug-1998 0841 [SMTP:lau-at-hdecad.ENET.dec-dot-com]
> Sent:  Friday, August 14, 1998 7:51 AM
> To:  tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Subject:  Re: coil costs
>
>  From:  Dsurfr-at-aol-dot-com [SMTP:Dsurfr-at-aol-dot-com]
> >Hey All: I'm a "newbie" coiler that's approaching that next step,
> >rebuilding my current set up to obtain better results. I've been able to
> >achieve a petty strong 16" arc to ground but I know I can achieve much
> >better results by improving my admittedly "cheap" tank circuit. Now I
> >want to step up to a better spark gap, capacitors, primary coil etc. To
> >date I have gotten by with salvaging, scrounging & making do with what I
> >had at hand or paying as little as I had to achieve somewhat minimal
> >results. I assume this is how most coilers start out, hoping to get good
> >arcs in the process. Now that I know a
>
> snip  > Jim
>
> It may be possible for one to look at their coil at any point in time and
> add up the costs, component by component.  Speaking for myself however,
> my coil will always be a work in progress.  I think most of us start with
> a crappy gap and a crappy capacitor and a small transformer, and
> gradually upgrade.  I wouldn't want to base the cost of a coil on my rev
> 0.0 creation.  At what point is it "done" and ready to price?  Is the
> cost cumulative across all revisions?  For me, it'll never be "done".
> Coiling is a journey to understanding and ever better performance, not a
> destination.
>
> Gary Lau
> Waltham, MA USA

Well spoken Gary!

I have special memories of all my crappy stuff days.  Those were all well
spent learning at an exponental rate.  If you ever think you have finally
arrived, you are probably on your way out!  The Tesla learning experience
should never end.

At the same time,  90% of all the people who build a Tesla coil, never build
another.  Of those 10% who build number two, probably 80% stop there.  For
most, it is a trip of curiousity which is easily satiated.

Richard Hull