Re: Warning Desasterous MMC failures, Rotton caps from Mouser.

["Grayson B Dietrich" <electrofire-at-xxxxxxxx> (by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-xxxxxxxxxx>)]

I also recently experienced arcing problems with a small 1nF MMC using PP
caps from Mouser (15 caps, three strings of 5, each string separated, can
be wired for series/parallel). This was my fault for wiring the strings
too close to each other to all be wired in series. I just bolted the
board to the lid of a small square tupperware container and filled it up
with mineral oil, so only the connection to the ends of the strings
protrude above the surface. No more arc-overs :-)


Grayson Dietrich
http://www.electrophile.8m-dot-com



> > I purchased some 2kv polypropelene .033 uF caps for an MMC of 
> three
> strings of
> > 15 caps for a total cost for the caps of $85 and they stink to 
> high
> heaven!!
> > The caps were substituted by rolled tube type caps of equivalent
> properties but
> > these caps differ greatly from the usual caps in that the shell is 
> a white
> > gladwrap thin plastic that allows arching between the caps unless 
> the caps
> are
> > separated by some sort of insulation.
> >
> > When I plugged in the MMC, a cap blows every three seconds a cap 
> would
> blow,
> > Now I no longer have enough caps to repair the MMC and I would 
> have to
> order a
> > minimum of 50 more caps from Mouser.
> >
> > I want to warn people not to use tube type caps unless you isolate 
> each
> and
> > every cap from the accompanying bleeder resisters and caps next to 
> them.
> >
> > I am unwilling to waste any more money on trying to make this 
> tesla coil
> work
> > for a reasonably good run. I have a cap Terry Fritz sent and it 
> works fine
> > except it does get hot fast.
> >
> > This final last frustrating and discouraging loss and disgusting 
> failure
> of a
> > cap marks the end of my hobby as a tesla coiler.
> >
> > I request removal from the tesla list effective December 1st.
> >
> > Thanks for all the good advice, but I have had quite enough 
> torture trying
> to
> > get something that lasts and I have to call and end to this 
> spending money
> like
> > I was bill gates only to get such rotton results.
> >
> > Thanks especially to Terry Fritz. Happy coiling and may you walk 
> in the
> light.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> 
> 
> 
> 

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