Re: Flash Tubes

• To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
• Subject: Re: Flash Tubes
• From: Mike Nolley <mnolley-at-mail.slc.edu> (by way of Terry Fritz <twf-at-verinet-dot-com>)
• Date: Sun, 28 Mar 1999 19:13:21 -0700
• Approved: twf-at-verinet-dot-com

At 02:21 PM 3/27/1999 -0700, you wrote: 
>Original Poster: "JimmyD" <jim_del-at-email.msn-dot-com> 
> 
>I was toying with the idea of using flash tube (more like the standard photo 
>strobes) to be used as a sealed spark gap for tesla use.  Is this feasible 
>or am I way off base?? 
        
        I'm sure there will be several replies to this, but no, it would not be
feasible-- since the flash tubes are evacuated.  As you would know if you
studied plasma spheres and flourescent bulbs, low pressure environments conduct
more readily than higher pressure ones.  As a result, a low-pressure gap would
simply arc instead of disruptively discharging, since the cap wouldn't have
time to build up a charge before the gap started to conduct.  
        If you went in the other direction, and managed to create a feasibly
contained high pressure gap, using air, hydrogen or some other insulating
gas-- 
it would be a different story altogether.  However, since this creates certain
design problems for the hobbyist, the high pressure gap is almost never used in
Tesla coil work. 
        Hope I could be of some help. 
                --Mike 

• Prev: Re: Flash Tubes
• Next: Re: Success with PP Multi-Mini Cap
• Index(es):
  • Main
  • Thread