Re: Spark gap not firing

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

Original poster: "Matus-at-snet-dot-net by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>" <matus-at-snet-dot-net>


----- Original Message -----
From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
To: <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Sent: Saturday, February 03, 2001 6:58 AM
Subject: Re: Spark gap not firing


> Original poster: "by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>"
<Parpp807-at-aol-dot-com>
>
> In a message dated 2/2/01 10:44:55 PM Central Standard Time,
tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> writes:
>
> <<  I now have it wired in series with the primary coil, which is made
>  from 1/4" refrigerator tubing and consits of 6 turns at 1/2" spacing with
a
> 6"
>  inner diameter.  I have a calculated inductance of 10 - 11 microhenries I
>  believe (dont recall the exact number) It is also wired in series with
the
>  capacitor.  The transf >>
>
> Hi Michael,
> It sounds here as if you have the coil wired wrong. connect the capacitor
in
> parallel
> with the NST. Then connect one side of the cap to one side of the primary.
> the other side of the capacitor goes to the SG, and the other side of the
SG
> goes to the other side of the primary. Again: the cap is in parallel with
the
> NST, and the SG is in series with the primary.

This is how I have it wired

http://home.earthlink-dot-net/~electronxlc/howworks.html#how

The author of this site stated that this configuration (series with the cap
and primary, parrallel with the gap) protects the transformer from rf noise.
Is this not the general consensus?

> The 0.0056 uF calculation sounds about right and should give you something
if
> you connect things correctly. I would want to try something
> a little larger than 0.01uF. Since you built the cap are you sure you have
> 0.0056?

thats what the calculation I used showed as well.  Although I have no idea
if that figure is right.  I am not sure what the K of my dialectric is.  I
mentioned in another response that when I disconnected the cap and left the
lead wire near the cap of the terminal and the spark gap was opened farther
then the distance from the lead wire to the terminal from the gap the
current jumped between the lead wire and the cap instead of between the
spark gap terminals.  Since i have the gap wired in parralel, then now that
I think about it if the current arcs between the cap and the lead wire when
they are disconnected, that is pretty much a spark gap on its own.  Wierd.
Why would the spark gap not fire?  the only difference is that it is in
parrallel and the total amount of wire is longer?  I'll have to check it
again tomorrow.

> Try to get a MMC as soon as you can.

Whats an MMC?

 There is a lot of info in the Tesla
> archives and on the various Tesla links. Study the books by John Couture.
> Stay safe.
>
> Cheers,
> Ralph Zekelman
>

I have been reading quite a bit, but I am learning along the way, and I have
a very very healthy fear of the coil =)