Re: another quick trial...no luck terry

[Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>]

Hi Danny,

At 03:30 AM 7/30/00 -0400, you wrote:
>i have checked all the connections and they are in agreement with your 
>schematic.  i messed with it until my mot's started to stink from the heat 
>(good stopping point)  i tried a bunch of random tap points for the primary 
>with the same effect as before.  i did notice another oddity that might shed 
>some light on the subject.  the spark gap does not fire every time that i put 
>on power.  sometimes there is no spark at all but just a dull humming coming 
>from the mot's.  maybe i have a capacitor problem?? 

I think that is normal, the primary cap is just loading the MOTs causing
the humming.

>i am thinking of charging 
>that mmc and shorting the terminals a few times to make sure that it is 
>working right.  

Can't hurt, but I would keep the primary inductor in the circuit too to
limit the current.  Just shorting a fully charged MMC can drive a LOT of
current!

>i don't have any kind of ballast on the mot's either.

This may be the problem.  Take an extra MOT and put the primary in SERIES
with the AC input to the other two MOTs.  Leave the output of the new MOT
disconnected.  The new MOT will act like an inductor and limit the current
to the other two MOTs.  "I" don't have any direct experience with doing
this so others may know more...

>i do 
>have a large 90mf cap that might work for this task.  i would just wire it in 
>parallel with the inputs of the transformers right???   i also have a .015mfd 
>cap  left over from the mot construction.  i have 2 spare mot's also.  thanks 
>a lot for all the help   -danny 

As long as your present cap is working, I would not go changing too many
things at once.  But if you run out of things to try, give the other caps a go.

Hopefully, the current limiting MOT will fix it.  It sounds like you are
doing everything right.  Not getting any spark at all is strange...  There
must be something....

Be real careful!

Cheers,

	Terry

>