Re: First light!!

[FutureT-at-aol-dot-com (by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>)]

In a message dated 10/1/00 8:25:44 PM Pacific Daylight Time, tesla-at-pupman-dot-com 
writes:

>  The interesting thing about the coil is that when the spark gap power arcs,
>  (it does this after about one minute) the sparks don't get shorter, but
>  coallesce (spelling?) into one big thick spark that readches out and up 
with
>  huge branches coming off the main section of the spark. This spark is very
>  frantic in the way it jerks about the toroid, and lasts until I either turn
>  down the variac or it trips the 15 amp breaker (about 20 seconds).
>      I  can't wait until later this week when I can get a bigger breaker 
and 
> a
>  bigger (read 8" x 30") topload. 
>      Open to questions or praise!
>   
>  Jason Johnson

Jason,

Those are nice results for an MOT powered TC.  Perhaps the gap
is not actually power arcing, but just increasing in breakrate when
it gets hot enough, due to a reduced gap breakdown voltage when
it's hot.  Higher breakrates tend to produce those coalesced 
appearing sparks.  But if this is the case, then you should be
able to reduce the spark gap spacing, and the sparks should
then coalesce even when the  gap is cold when you first start
up the coil.... so that is a test you could do (if you haven't done
it already).  Might be problems when it heats up though with this
gap spacing, so it would just be for test/comparison purposes.

John Freau

John Freau