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Re: info wanted

>Date: Mon, 2 Oct 1998 20:12:23 -0700
>To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
>Subject: info wanted
>From: Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
>
>Original Poster: "Marc Boiy" <ON1DCV-at-mail.dma.be> 
>
>
>dear Sir,
>  
>I'm new to this server and "tesla" and found the information on the
>internet so beautiful that I wanna build a tesla transformer myself.
>  
>A small one will do but I need some good schematic and safety roles 
before
>I can start building.
>  
>So If someone can help me with good information I would be very 
>grateful.
>  
>Are the parts who are needed to build,obtainable in Europe?
>  
>Are there other people in Belgium or Holland who can help me?
>  
>You see, I have so many questions about it that I can't write them 
>down all.
>  
>Many thanks in advance,
>  
>Marc Boiy
>Parijseweg 139
>2940 Hoevenen 
>Belgium 
>  
><mailto:ON1DCV-at-mail.dma.be>ON1DCV-at-mail.dma.be

 Hi Marc,

 I'm from Holland so I guess I should tell you something about building 
Tesla Coils in Europe:
 Well, first, when you see those great posts by our American fellows 
saying "Hey, I got this and that for free", or "I got ten pounds of wire 
for 3 dollars" and such, well, FORGET IT!!!
 I paid 50 dollars for 680 meters of 22AWG (0.60mm) wire for my 
secondary. 30 meters of 0.8mmm thick copper tubing (for the primary) 
cost me 80Dollars. My Secondary coil form (PVC pipe 20cm diameter, 70cm 
high) cost about 25 dollars, and I was lucky they just had it laying 
around, because, strictly speaking I would have to buy 5meters minimum. 
The acrylic endings cost another 20. Varnish cost me over 100 dollars in 
total (Ok, I used a lot, and I had epoxy, enamel, polyurethane and 
urethane).
 The toroid cost about 80 dollars (13cm rubber tubing, about 1m50 long, 
covered with aluminium tape).
 In total, My Tesla Coil (a medium model) cost me over 400Dollars. And I 
still have capacitors, spark gap, transformer, chokes, filters, and 
other things on the power supply to get it working. So the final cost, 
without the transformer, will be well over 500Dollars.
 Now, onto the transformer: You have a go at getting Neons in Holland 
(or most other European countries for that matter). You'll find out that 
for some pathetically stupid reason they are ALL power limited to 
400Watts. AND, as if that wasn't enough, you can only get them new (old 
ones are sent to the factory). A new transformer will cost about 
200dollars. Maybe more.
 Now, from Italy you can order 1000Watts units. They cost a staggering 
THRE HUNDRED DOLLARS EACH!!! Now, for all that money you could get 
yourself a couple of pole pigs in America. And, considering that Neons 
always end up failing in TC use, that price is absurd. Since they are 
made in Italy, you might as well give up looking for used ones now.
 In case you are curious, a microwave oven transformer (which, by the 
way doesn't work good for a Tesla Coil) costs 150Dollars new. Again 
getting it old is impossible because the broken ovens have their parts 
reused (cheap people!).
 Any other transformer you might hear off is unavailable here. Now, I 
have asked about 10 times but NO-ONE on this list will send me a 
transformer. Whatever selfish reasons they might have for it...
 So, basically, unless you are really rich (or really stupid), DO NOT 
ATTEMPT TO BUILD YOURSELF ONE.
 I am sorry if this doesn't really sound positive to you, but 
unfortunately, Europe is not the place to be if you want to build a 
Coil.
 I have tried and now I find myself with this over a meter high, 
beautiful 500+dollars piece of useless equipment. Kind of makes you 
wonder why I built it in the first place… Well, I built it because I 
need it! I am not waiting over 500Dollars just to sit down and watch 
sparks fly until the neighbour call the police and I get arrested for 
something that is illegal here. I seriously need this Coil for a serious 
project of mine. There is a lot of money at stake, but nevertheless I 
can’t get what I need:-( And, to make matters worst, I am just about out 
of money.


 Sam Barros.

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