Counterpoise question

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>" <yevaud_new.uk-at-excite.co.uk>


Hi all -

A recent post mentioned the use of a counterpoise. I'm in the middle of
building a 1kW Tesla Coil and, when it is finished, have plans to
demonstrate it to my physics students. However, finding a decent RF ground
in the lecture theatre is not going to be easy so I was wondering whether I
could get away with using a counterpoise ? Not having used one before, I
hope you won't mind some pretty basic questions: Can I get away with using
one at 1kW ?  If it is made out of aluminium foil spread out over the
lecture theatre floor, how many square feet of it (roughly) would I need ?
To what do you connect the other things that would usually be connected to
the RF ground...NST core, safety gap etc....to the counterpoise as well ?
Does the counterpoise really need to be connected to the mains ground as I
think I read in one post or do you just leave it capacitatively coupled to
the ground ?

With thanks,

Alan.





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