Re: Low Voltage MOT coil - first, brief lights

• To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
• Subject: Re: Low Voltage MOT coil - first, brief lights
• From: "Gregory R. Hunter" <ghunter-at-accucomm-dot-net> (by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>)
• Date: Tue, 14 Mar 2000 17:31:29 -0700
• Approved: twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net
• Delivered-To: fixup-tesla-at-pupman-dot-com-at-fixme

Scott,

I have a thought.  Try shining a small ultraviolet light on your spark gap.
 This may lower the breakdown potential and allow for a wider gap setting
with possibly less fouling.  Combine the wider setting with forced air to
assist quenching and you might really have someting.  Better yet, make a
kind of rotary gap by having a rotating opaque disk with a hole or holes in
it between the UV lamp and the gap (not my idea, I read it on this list
months ago).  The gap will fire each time the spot of UV falls on it.  Very
small, intense UV lamps are available because they are used in EPROM
erasers.  Try "All Electronics" and similar surplus companies for cheap UV
lamps.  I've seen them for sale for a few bucks.

Another notion.  Try placing a small trigger spark gap physically near the
main gap, but not in any way connected to it, just so that the main gap can
"see" the spark of the trigger gap.  When the trigger gap fires, perhaps
the UV from it will illuminate the main gap and cause it to fire.

Just hasty ideas--don't know if they're workable.  Best of luck.

Greg Hunter

>
>I'm having big problems with the spark gap. The voltage is so low, probably
>around 1.5 - 2 KV, that when a couple 1/4" dia copper pipes spaced around
>3mm will arc a couple times, then foul (oxidize) and stop. Moving them
>closer results in a very hot, non-quenching arc after a few good pops.
>
>Scott
>
>
>

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