Re: beginner's coil?

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

Original poster: "Peter Lawrence by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>" <Peter.Lawrence-at-eng.sun-dot-com>

Mike,
     here is my current favorite "small" coil. I'm in the process of
comparing many different coils, all built on the same 12" high forms.

topload - 2"x8" torrid

secondary - 3.5"D x 11" high (on 12" high tube), 1276 Turns # 32 wire

primary - flat spiral 6.5" to 11.5"D, 15 Turns #12 wire (.080"D, 0.160 pitch)

Cp - 9.6-nF (56uF x 2 / 12 MMC)

power - 9kV-30mA NST

I also have 12kV and 15kV NSTs, but I would hesitate using them on such
a small coil. The configuration above with the 9kV NST puts out over
12" sparks, which I feel is good from a coil only 12" high. I'ld
recommend a 7.5kV and 9kV for the small coils.

-Peter Lawrence

(ps, I'm writing this from memory at work, I'll double check the dimensions
of the primary when I get home and email again if I forgot something (I
have many primaries, and I'm not positive which I used with the #32 coil)).

(pps, dont forget the safety gap, or you will be singing the burned out
NST blues!)


>
>Original poster: "Mike Wood by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>" 
<mike.wood-at-opennw-dot-com>
>
>Hi
>
>I've just got interested in tesla coiling (I like making stuff!) and I'm
>kind of in the finding-out phase.  I wondered if anyone had any good plans
>maybe suitable for a first coil?  I've been trailing round on the net and I
>keep finding pages with pictures of 12' high secondaries and that kind of
>thing - that's pretty cool but maybe not for my first try!
>
>I managed to get hold of a 15kV neon supply.  Will this make a good supply
>for my coil?  Some of the pages I've found keep talking about burning out
>transformers (or otherwise generally rooting them) though - if it's ok to
>use a NST what's my best bet for making sure I take care of it well enough
>so it doesn't get pushed too hard and I get a good coiling lifetime out of
>it?  (they're not easy to come by down here in NZ!)  If there's a particular
>design that keeps this in mind then I'd be really interested.
>
>Anyway, hope to hear from you inna bit.
>
>Mike
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