Re: Dwell Controller - Thanks!

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

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

In a message dated 1/27/01 10:43:06 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
tesla-at-pupman-dot-com writes:

> In comes
>  the dwell controller, and that problem is solved!  I used a 30uf capacitor
>  and a large 50A variac for control (the only one I could find!), and I must
>  have gotten at least 33 degrees of change, if not more.  I could actually
>  take the variac all the way around without it groaning, and I usually had 
to
>  in order to find the  right spot.  That is easily the best my coil has ever
>  ran - It was putting out about 5-5.5' discharges easily.  That was until I
>  brought my dad out to show him, when it quit.  Upon examination the next
>  day, I had found that I completely melted out one of the stationary
>  electrodes from the plastic holder.  That was a lesson learned - never use
>  thin Plexiglas at high powers!  Thanks again!
>  
>  -Andy C.

Andy,

I'm glad the phase controller came in handy for you.  I had a crazy
occurance with my new sync gap.  I didn't have the correct allen 
key, so the set-screws were not real tight on the rotor hub.  They
loosened during operation, and the electrodes crashed.  Luckily
they're copper.  The spinning ones were undamaged, but the two
long fixed ones got bent.  I had to straighten them with a big
hammer, and now the gap is fine again.  This gap is at:

   http://hometown.aol-dot-com/futuret/page3.html

(the sync gap is all the way at the bottom of the page)

When I first tried out this gap, one of the spinning electrodes
was running very hot, the other was barely warm.  This doesn't
make sense since they're in series.  I think what was happening
is that I had them adjusted so close that one of them was rubbing
on the fixed electrode as it spun, and heated it up by mechanical
friction.  I can't think of any other explanation.  This may have 
contributed to the electrode crash too, as they heated and
expanded and dragged more and more.  Now with a little wider
spacing, the both spinning electrodes run at the same
temperature.

John