Re: "I want bigger sparks!" (me too)

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

Original poster: "by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <FutureT-at-aol-dot-com>

In a message dated 8/11/01 2:46:38 PM Eastern Daylight Time, tesla-at-pupman-dot-com 
writes:

> Hey all,
>   As far as Spark Gaps go.. Should the electrodes for a static gap be
>  slightly spherical? I'm using a pair of large bolts with the heads as the
>  electrodes.. I've also been having problems with output.. I can't get
>  anything larger than about 12" to a grounded copper toilet float on a jesus
>  stick.. other than that, I get hardly any breakout (maybe 3 or 4 inches)
>  with a breakout point.. I've been wondering if my gap is too lossy..
>  
>  Ben McMillen

Ben,

Using just a single gap like that often requires an air blast to
cool and quench the gap.  It's not really losses that are the
problem.  You may want to try using a multi pipe gap or a so
called TCBOR/RQ gap.  Better yet would be a Gary Lau type
Vortex gap.  Other alternatives (if you're using an LTR cap)
are sync gaps, and triggered gaps.

Spherical heads won't help much or at all.

John Freau