Re: B00ya! NSTs?

["Albert Hassick" <uncadoc-at-xxxxxxxx> (by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-xxxxxxxxxx>)]

Hi Alan.  Yes, you have a valid point there.  I too cannot afford those
golden Maxwell caps!  I wish I could, but they are out of my reach at
this time.  The MMC's are a good step up from the bargain saltwater caps!
 And the MMC's may be even better than my doubled bank of 30 barium
titanate caps.  But I got em' now and they work well and I plan all my
current research around them.  I was lucky to get them for a good price,
they are now more expensive and elusive than ever.  And in all honesty, I
would probably go to a set of MMC caps to replace my current ceramics, if
and when I destroy them!  Anyway, here I am, hopelessly stuck on this
hobby and always trying for more and better sparks!    Keep on coilin'!  
Al.

On Sun, 12 Nov 2000 22:17:41 -0700 "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
writes:
> Original poster: Megavolt121-at-aol-dot-com 
> 
> Hi
>     In his saltwater system, the most easily, and needed component 
> that needs 
> to be replaced would be his capacitors. Of course, I'd love to say 
> "go buy 
> those 45kv .04 Maxwell caps", but lets face reality. Most of us 
> don't have a 
> few hundred to thousands lying around to buy a brand new cap. Then 
> again, its 
> not like everyone that has a new cap is willing to part with it that 
> soon. 
> Therefore, the next possible routes are building yoru own out of 
> poly or MMC. 
> Poly's end up costing the same as MMC, but aren't as durable, turn 
> out to be 
> oily messes, etc.. Practically speaking, an MMC is most worth it. 
> Don't get 
> me wrong, I'm not stating that throwing an MMC on a coil will 
> cure-all 
> problems, but they sure as heck will help out when compared to a 
> Salt Water 
> Gap. As Mike stated already, he already has the RQ/TCBOR 6 gap 
> static gap 
> setup. As much as many say that the gap is the most important 
> component that 
> can be upgraded and will usually cut output, I would disagree. My 
> first coil 
> used a crap gap(literally, the gaps weren't evenly spaced, etc). I 
> still was 
> able to push a 40" arc using just a 15/90 nst with a coil massivly 
> off tune 
> with a torroid that was way to small. Had I run saltwater caps, I 
> would have 
> immediately switched to MMC's only because they are the only 
> economically 
> sound caps that i can afford and know that will last. I agree that 
> eventually 
> all of us want to go with bigger and more power, but on a first coil 
> or your 
> first few, you can't go on dreaming. All you can do is refine what 
> you have 
> and make it look the best and run the best. Until you get the money, 
> 
> experience, and neighbors that will allow for such a big coil, the 
> best you 
> can do is to keep in touch with reality with your "smaller" coil and 
> make 
> that one kick.
> 
> -Alan
> 
> In a message dated 11/12/00 5:17:16 PM Pacific 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?  Is the MMC the only way to get a 
> better
>  coil? 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 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!  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? 
> 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!     AL. >>
> 
> 
>