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Re: Need Help.



In a message dated 11/18/98 1:20:35 PM Pacific Standard Time, tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
writes:

<< 
 	I need some help getting my first coil up and running. I'm using a 10000v
 60ma neon sign transformer.  My primary is 1/4" copper tubing, in a normal
 helix, about 10 turns spaced approx. 1/4" apart. The secondary is 3"PVC
 with 21" of 24GA wrapped around it. I'm using two wine bottles and one 1
 gallon jug for caps. The spark gap is constructed of two 'L' brackets and
 bolts. 
 	I turned on the power, nothing happened, there is juice going through it,
 I touched a flourescent bulb to the primary and it lit.  How close to in
 tune does a coil need to be before you can get arcs and sparks out of it?
 Can anyone help me? suggestions for a discharge terminal? thanks!
 	I went by diagrams and info found here...
 http://www.altair-dot-org/tesla.htm#newcoil
  >>
Hello mystery coiler,

You say you turned on the power and nothing happened.  Your first goal here is
to get the primary system running.  The spark gap should be firing at a steady
pace and should be quite loud.  If you only have one gap, set it to about .10
or .15".  The gap should be connected directly across the high voltage feed
lines with one side of the gap connected to the bottom of the primary and the
other side of the gap connected to one side of the capacitor.  Now the other
side of the capacitor is connected via a moveable tap lead to the center (or
wherever it needs to be for correct tuning) of the primary.  If the gap
doesn't fire under this condition either the transformer or the capacitor is
bad.

Ed Sonderman