Re: Beginners Tesla Coils

To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: Beginners Tesla Coils
From: clara02-at-m8.sprynet-dot-com (by way of Terry Fritz <terryf-at-verinet-dot-com>)
Date: Sun, 15 Nov 1998 11:10:12 -0700
Approved: terryf-at-verinet-dot-com



>>This is definitely not to whine. I want to be quite clear on this point,
>>so please don't flame me. 



Yes, This is a fantastic list and there is a VERY large amount of 
information available.  But we are talking about beginners. They don't 
know which is the wheat and which is the chaff.  


  First of all, TC'ing requires a
>certain amount of trial and error, especially in the tuning process-- so
>there is by no means ANY guarantee that 2 coils with identical schematics
>and even identical materials will both be immediately successful.


Yes, no one is trying to deny this point or even trying to say 
otherwise. But the beginner is asking where is the recipe for that 
first coil so they can start to fine tune it.  


  In the case of moderate to high power systems, it is
>generally unwise for anyone without this experience to attempt it.  


Yes, absolutely!!


>these can be obtained at some surplus shops or hamfests.  



This is what the beginner is asking about.  A recipe for a simple Coil,
that they don't have to spend weeks searching and eliminating 
the information they can't use. If they don't know how to build a 
Coil they might not know what a hamfest is, if you can get them 
hooked on Coiling, then you can get them to a hamfest.


>	I'm quite certain that there is sufficient information on the 
internet to build a Tesla coil

Yes, I have read this many times on this list, "Before this list 
there was no place to turn to get ANY information on how to start 
building a Coil."  Now there is the typical internet problem, so 
much information that it is over whelming. Can you remember back to 
your Coiling roots and how frustrated you were trying to get that 
first one to fire.  If you had a mentor helping you you were able 
to slide right in there and get it running.  What about the 
individual who is trying to go it alone, without the personal mentor. 
I believe it was Terry who started this string and he was concerned 
about, "the beginner who is trying to find out a Tesla Coil works.  
Then after they get one working they might find out this is not for 
them and move on. But if they get hooked you will have a new Coiler."

W. Encil Scott