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RE: info wanted

Hi Marc,
           Welcome to the Tesla list and the wonderful world of Tesla
coils!

Please don't be discouraged by the difficulty of obtaining the bits for
a coil in Europe. (hunting down the bits is half the fun anyway!)
Sure things are not so easy to find as they are in the states, and they
tend to be a bit more expensive, but they are out there.
It's just a case of knowing where to look.
When I first got interested in Tesla coils, I like you, saw the
fantastic pictures on the net and wondered how I could build one.
I looked at as many different coilers web pages as possible and noted
what they were using (what type of transformers, capacitors, coils
dimensions etc)
and then started looking for the bits closest to someone's design.
I based mine on Chip Atkinson's design (thanks Chip, great coil!) 
When I started, there wasn't so many people using power line
transformers (pole pigs) as there seems to be today.
I would avoid them like the plague until you have got some experience,
and big sparks from neon sign transformers or oil burner trans.
 You really dont need them to make big sparks, and NST's & OBIT's are
much safer!
I got my NST's from a local shop-sign contractor.  They were used, but
ok.
Look for at least 5kV 50mA units, ideally as big as you can find, though
European regs only allow a max of 5 kV above ground (5-0-5 kV centre tap
to ground)
Take a look at Bill Beaty's Tesla Web page
(www.eskimo-dot-com/~billb/tesla/tesla.html), and look out the designs for
capacitors.
There is an excellent design for a rolled polyethylene sheet and ali
foil cap there.
I got my poly from a local plastics supplier and the ali foil from a
sheet metal sockist.
The oil for the cap came from a transformer repair company, and the pipe
from a builders merchants.
There is lots of other really useful stuff on Bill's Tesla page.
Check out links to Chip's Safety Sheet for some good common sense safety
data.
Stick with it, keep searching, dont give up, and be prepared to learn a
whole new field of radio!
                             Good Luck!      
                                                   73's   Martin Dale,
G6ABU




>----------
>From: 	Tesla List[SMTP:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com]
>Sent: 	Tuesday, October 27, 1998 3:12AM
>To: 	tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
>Subject: 	info wanted
>
>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
>  
>  
>  
>
>