Re: B00ya! NSTs?

[FutureT-at-xxxxxxx (by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-xxxxxxxxxx>)]

In a message dated 11/12/00 8:17:15 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
tesla-at-pupman-dot-com writes:

> Original poster: "Albert Hassick" <uncadoc-at-juno-dot-com> 
>  
>  Hi All.  I can only say that I meant that once you are hooked on coiling,
>  you are really hooked, nothing can save you when you get the first small
>  sparks to creep up off your coil!  Hey, why are you list members so testy
>  when it comes to capacitance?  

Al,

Are you painting all list members with the same brush?  The difference
in spark output between a good cap (poly, MMC, transmitting mica, etc),
and a poor cap (salt water, Mylar, cheap ceramic, etc), is about 15%.
Some coilers have seen more of a difference.  For someone who can't
afford a better cap, an inferior cap is fine, just realize that your sparks
will be shorter.

>  Is the MMC the only way to get a better
>  coil? 

There are various ways to get longer sparks from a coil.  Common
ways are;  use more input power, use a low break-rate with a 
larger capacitor (up to a point), use thinner wire for more inductance
and primary surge Z, use a properly sized toroid, and of course use
a better spark gap as you say (of course if the spark gap is already
good, you'll have to do something else).

>  You want big sparks?  Get a bigger tranny, get better caps and most
>  of all, build a good spark gap, the spark gap is the true common
>  denominator of any Tesla system,  why all this talk of MMC caps?  or any
>  caps for that matter,

I think the reason there's a lot of talk about caps, is because many
folks have trouble finding them, and need help on building and sizing
them, etc.

>  I have fried MMC's, doorknobs, blown up salt water
>  caps and cracked the plate glass in flat caps and blown out my oil
>  immersed poly caps. Now are the caps the that only thing that will give a
>  big spark?  I think not! 

I don't think anyone said that caps are the only thing that will give a 
big spark.

>  There are many caps available to be built or
>  bought and they all cost money.  Even good MMC's cost some bucks and will
>  need a bleeder resistor bank and a suitable perfboard, solder, time etc.
>  But one thing I know for sure, I like all types of caps for Tesla
>  systems.  I like the MMC's too, but they are not a common cureall for
>  what ails your coil. You want big sparks?  Get hi voltage and moderate
>  current into your coil and then build a good spark gap. Then add
>  capacitance as needed for max spark.  Too much is mentioned of these
>  MMC's lately, they are not a cure all.  I do agree that the MMC's can be
>  a very reliable and indestructible source of capacitance as long as they
>  are rated above rms.  A good spark gap and well tuned and coupled primary
>  is the most efficient way to get your coil to produce big sparks.  How
>  many of you really take the time to couple your primary/secondary? 

>From my experience, I think most coilers do take the trouble to
properly couple their coils.

>  And
>  most of all, you must rate your caps to withstand double the A/C voltage
>  that they will ever endure,including random peaks of voltage, if you do
>  that, then you will have a fantastic cap setup that will last and last
>  and will be capable of upgrading easily to a bigger higher powered
>  system.   I like my latest coil with the one and one half turn primary. 
>  That is true efficiency!     

Using a 1.5 turn primary does not prove the coil is efficient.  Using
the proper design, your transformers can give a spark that is more
than twice as long as you are obtaining now.

John Freau



AL.
>