Re: Measuring NST current

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Terry Fritz" <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>

Hi David,

	It can be done but you have to be really careful!  The voltage across the
meter is low and about near ground but if anything goes wrong at all the
meter will get fried.  You have to carefully make sure the meter and leads
are in the 400mA current range.  The meter has to be well insulated from
everything else.  if the fuse in the meter blows (or was already blown), it
will fry.

The most common mistake is having the meter in the voltage or ohms position
or the leads in the wrong holes.  In those cases the meter will be totally
destroyed in a flash.

If you really want to be safe, I have plans for a NST meter that is pretty
bullet proof at:

http://hot-streamer-dot-com/TeslaCoils/Misc/meter.jpg

Costs about $35 so it is sort of a gamble on how lucky you feel ;-)

NST are usually pretty close current wise, so unless you have a real reason
to measure it, It may be best not to risk the meter.

Cheers,

	Terry



At 04:07 PM 12/18/2000 -0500, you wrote:
>
>
>Hi All,
>	I'm a coiling newbie, and I was wondering what the best way to measure the
>ma output of a NST is.  I have a digital 400 mA meter...
>Thanks,
>David Hansen
>