Rotary Sync Gap

To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Rotary Sync Gap
From: Terry Fritz <terryf-at-verinet-dot-com>
Date: Wed, 23 Sep 1998 21:22:09 -0600
Approved: terryf-at-verinet-dot-com

Hi All,
	
	I finally got my new synchronous rotary gap together and hooked it up.
The results were dramatic.  My coil's streamers were much better, longer,
etc.  There is no comparison to even my best static gaps.  The performance
is far superior.  
	I looked at the output on the scope and there was no quenching to be found
(sorry no pics yet).  The power bounced back and forth from the primary to
the secondary several times.  The voltage at breakout was a little better
at around 230kV.  The rotary seems to provide a very stable and controlled
spark which feeds the streamers very well.
	I'll study all this much more in the near future.  The points of the gap
are 3/8 inch brass all thread sections that seem to burn fairly clean.
They stay very cool in the considerable air flow.  The rotor balance is not
perfect but the frame is pretty strong and it is not serious.  These do
take considerable skill and equipment to build.
	I do have one question.  Is there a way to hook up a neon lamp, high
brightness LED,  etc. to shine on the rotor to indicate were in the ac
cycle the rotor is at.  In other words, I am trying to get the gap points
to line up at the peak of the AC cycle.  There must be some simple device
to do this.  I do have a nice inductive timing light that may be a
possibility too.  With my voltage probe down I can't see the cap voltage
directly.

	Terry Fritz