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Re: observations (pulsed sparks)...why??



In a message dated 99-10-27 07:18:23 EDT, you write:

<< Original Poster: "afa2fg" <afa2fg-at-email.msn-dot-com> 
 
> Hi John,
 >   The gap fires continually. As I increase the voltage, the gap can be
> heard to increase in spark discharge freq.  My toroid is probably a little
> too large. ( 4 X 16 ) Dryer duct covered w/ aluminum foil.
> George >>

George,

RE: (gap fires steadily, toroid sparks break out once per second)

I guess the spark can barely break out, and the ionization has to
build up for awhile in the air before it can support a streamer.  I'm not
sure why it would then stop though, and give this pulsing effect.  When
the sparks do not break out, the gaps would tend to heat up and fire
at a lower voltage, which would reduce the output voltage even more,
so it's surprising to me that it then breaks out again at all.  There must
be something happening here that I don't understand.  It just happens
that I've never seen this effect on my coils, so I've never had the 
opportunity to investigate it.  Maybe someone has explored this or has
some ideas of what might cause it?  When the sparks do break out,
once per second, are they long, or just a little flicker?

Cheers,
John Freau