Re: why? chilled spark gap tips gives more spark?

[FutureT-at-aol-dot-com (by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>)]

In a message dated 7/21/00 5:20:29 PM Pacific Daylight Time, tesla-at-pupman-dot-com 
writes:

> Original poster: JAMZZ333-at-aol-dot-com 
>  
>  I recently chilled my spark gap tips with with a butane gum remover DO  
NOT 
>  do this unless you have a fan to get rid of the butane gas or don't feel 
the 
> 
>  need for hair on your arms or face (it is highly flammable as I am sure 
you 
>  know) any way for about 5 seconds when the coil is running before the tips 
>  heat themselves back up again I get about 20-25 percent longer streamers 
> from 
>  the torrid which is the head of a dart ( have a rather small (TC) about a 
>  foot tall but anyway I thought it a bit odd anyhelp would be greatly 
>  appreciated. thanks -James

James,

My guess is that your gaps were running too hot in the first place and
therefore were firing at a lower than normal voltage, when you cooled
them, the firing voltage increased, and the spark length increased.
It is also possible that they were power arcing (failing to quench)
when they were hot.  Most likely, you could simply build a new gap
with larger sparking surfaces, and more mass or heat sinks for
cooling, and a good spark would be obtained without the extra
cooling, or a simple fan might then do the job, unless your running
a lot of power, in which case more of an air blast might be needed,
etc.

Cheers,
John Freau