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Re: info wanted

Hi Sam, all,
             Sorry to hear about how difficult coiling is on certain 
parts of the European continent :(  I have two suggestions that might 
make things more tolerable:

- You should be able to use a NST without cooking it voltage-wise by 
accepting lower than optimum primary energy. Choose the highest 
voltage transformer you can get and make a dry fired cap to match it 
but run it with the gap considerably closer than the peak voltage the 
transformer can generate. You'll be trading off peak primary energy 
for more BPS but perhaps with lower risk to the transformer. What do 
others think about this?  I know it is hardly ten foot territory but 
I guess one has to make do with what one has. 

- Go DC and build a stepup switching power supply. All it takes are 
old TV flyback cores, not very much wire, some suitable plastic for 
interlayer insulation and some beefy transistors/FETs along with one 
of the standard SMPS control ICs. I'd be happy to help offlist with 
design procedures.

Again, sorry to hear about the problems.
Malcolm

<snip>
>  Hi Marc,
> 
>  I'm from Holland so I guess I should tell you something about building=20
> Tesla Coils in Europe:
>  Well, first, when you see those great posts by our American fellows=20
> saying "Hey, I got this and that for free", or "I got ten pounds of wire=20
> for 3 dollars" and such, well, FORGET IT!!!
>  I paid 50 dollars for 680 meters of 22AWG (0.60mm) wire for my=20
> secondary. 30 meters of 0.8mmm thick copper tubing (for the primary)=20
> cost me 80Dollars. My Secondary coil form (PVC pipe 20cm diameter, 70cm=20
> high) cost about 25 dollars, and I was lucky they just had it laying=20
> around, because, strictly speaking I would have to buy 5meters minimum.=20
> The acrylic endings cost another 20. Varnish cost me over 100 dollars in=20
> total (Ok, I used a lot, and I had epoxy, enamel, polyurethane and=20
> urethane).
>  The toroid cost about 80 dollars (13cm rubber tubing, about 1m50 long,=20
> covered with aluminium tape).
>  In total, My Tesla Coil (a medium model) cost me over 400Dollars. And I=20
> still have capacitors, spark gap, transformer, chokes, filters, and=20
> other things on the power supply to get it working. So the final cost,=20
> without the transformer, will be well over 500Dollars.
>  Now, onto the transformer: You have a go at getting Neons in Holland=20
> (or most other European countries for that matter). You'll find out that=20
> for some pathetically stupid reason they are ALL power limited to=20
> 400Watts. AND, as if that wasn't enough, you can only get them new (old=20
> ones are sent to the factory). A new transformer will cost about=20
> 200dollars. Maybe more.
>  Now, from Italy you can order 1000Watts units. They cost a staggering=20
> THRE HUNDRED DOLLARS EACH!!! Now, for all that money you could get=20
> yourself a couple of pole pigs in America. And, considering that Neons=20
> always end up failing in TC use, that price is absurd. Since they are=20
> 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=20
> way doesn't work good for a Tesla Coil) costs 150Dollars new. Again=20
> getting it old is impossible because the broken ovens have their parts=20
> reused (cheap people!).
>  Any other transformer you might hear off is unavailable here. Now, I=20
> have asked about 10 times but NO-ONE on this list will send me a=20
> transformer. Whatever selfish reasons they might have for it...
>  So, basically, unless you are really rich (or really stupid), DO NOT=20
> ATTEMPT TO BUILD YOURSELF ONE.
>  I am sorry if this doesn't really sound positive to you, but=20
> unfortunately, Europe is not the place to be if you want to build a=20
> Coil.
>  I have tried and now I find myself with this over a meter high,=20
> beautiful 500+dollars piece of useless equipment. Kind of makes you=20
> wonder why I built it in the first place=85 Well, I built it because I=20
> need it! I am not waiting over 500Dollars just to sit down and watch=20
> sparks fly until the neighbour call the police and I get arrested for=20
> something that is illegal here. I seriously need this Coil for a serious=20
> project of mine. There is a lot of money at stake, but nevertheless I=20
> can=92t get what I need:-( And, to make matters worst, I am just about ou=
> t=20
> of money.
> 
> 
>  Sam Barros.
> 
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