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Re: Tiny tesla...Geek to English translation

>Hey Nick (or anybody),
>Could you please explain the stuff is said below?
>
>Thanks
>
>Greg
>
>Tesla List wrote:
>
> > Original Poster: NickandSim-at-aol-dot-com
> >
> > Hi Greg,
> >            tiny tesla's are great - they are genuinely safe as the 
>frequency
> > is so high & and they look seriously cool.

The small a Tesla Coil is in physical dimentions the higher it's resonant 
frequency. Higher frequency electrical discharges and safer to play with 
becaus they follow a "Skin Effect". Skin effect is the tendency for a 
electrical charge to flow along the surface of it's conductor instead of 
going through the middle. When you increase the frequency of a charge high 
enough you don't even need a wire anymore and can use a sort of pipe. It's 
called a Waveguide and the charge bounces around inside it, it's literally 
like a pipe for electricity.

Because of the Skin Effect, when you come in contact with the output of a 
Tesla Coil (under the proper conditions) you are totally safe. You can do 
amazing things (Check out Brent Turner) and not get hurt. Because the charge 
never penetrates your skin.
However, if you try it with lower frequency power....like your wall socket, 
you will die quickly.

The Tesla Coil makes a charge that vibrates at hundres of thousands of 
cycles per second, the wall plug only vibrates at 60 cycles per second. That 
is very slow in the electrical world and will hurt you very badly.


There is nothing really special
> > about very small coils.  Just get hold of a copy of which ever tesla 
>design
> > program suits you and punch in the numbers.

Look for a program called WinTesla, it will save you having to do some 
incredible math and also help you with the design of your coil. It is a 
computer program out here on the net (I can't remember the URL...HELP) that 
works like a spreadsheet. You type in a couple numbers, like how big your 
secondary coil is and it will help you find out the rest.

If I were you I'd use 2" PVC
> > pipe as the former and make it more like 8" high.

That means use a piece of 2" P.V.C. (A specific type of plastic, ask for it 
at the hardware store, it's incredibly common.) for your Secondary Coil Form 
and make your coil about 8" long.
Most Secondary Coils are built at about a 1/4 ratio. If they are 1" wide 
they are 4" high, 2"wide=8"tall, or mine that is 6"wide and 24" tall. It's 
just a common ratio for the coil size.


This will pull the resonant frequency down to a value where you don't need a 
totally tiny primary cap and can therefore actually put some power into it.

Alright.....umphhh.....Think of a tire swing.

If you tie the rope to a high branch (25') then you can really push hard and 
get long slow swings right?
If you tie the rope to a low branch (5') you get jerky little short swings. 
A TC is the same way, the smaller the coil (or the pendulum, or the 
capcitor, or the bell, or the horn, or almost ANYTHING) the higher the 
frequency.

The Primary cap is your Primary (also called Tank) Capacitor.

>A small nst - 6/60 would be more than big enough - I'd prefer a 3/60.  You 
>could also use an obit, which would make the gapping easier.

N.S.T. is a Neon Sign Transformer
6/60 means it has a secondary voltage of 6,000 volts at 60 mA
3/60 means it has a secondary voltage of 3,000 volts at 60 mA

An OBIT is an Oil Burner Ignition Transformer (also called a FIT)
and the Gapping is the setting of your Spark Gap; a delicate and picky 
process any thing you can do to make it signifigantly easier is a good 
thing.

Have fun....and yes guys, I know I spell like a monkey in heat, but he'll 
get the idea.

Santa's Little Hacker

Chris Boden
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