Re: Ryan's Coil = DOA :(

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

Original poster: "Ryan Ries by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>" <spud-at-wf-dot-net>

Oh, I've already been through the NST phase.  It was a pretty darn good
setup, too, because I got ~6.5 foot streamers using 15kv/180ma NST power. 
The same secondary was in use on the pole pig powered system.  Heh, it's
funny now that I think back on it, how my friend and I started with a 12/30
that we bought off eBay for $40. (We didn't know what the heck NST's were
worth back then. :))  You should have seen our first spark gap.  Let's just
say it consisted of a block of wood, and hot glue. :-)  We have come from
knowing very little about electricity, and absolutely nothing about Tesla
coils, to where we are now in just two years.  I'm extremely glad to have
had the experience of learning as much as I have in these past two years,
and getting the attention of family, friends, and schoolmates.  But for
now, I have no more money to continue my efforts.  I may have to wait years
until I finish college and have a real job.  Who knows.  Thanks to everyone
for the support!

	Thanks,
	   Ryan Ries

----------
> From: Tesla list <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
> To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Subject: Re: Ryan's Coil = DOA :(
> Date: Monday, January 08, 2001 8:08 AM
> 
> Original poster: "by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>"
<Tesla729-at-cs-dot-com>
> 
> In a message dated 1/7/01 5:46:15 PM Pacific Standard Time,
tesla-at-pupman-dot-com 
> writes:
> 
> <<  "Ryan Ries by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>" <spud-at-wf-dot-net>
>  
>     10,000 watts of power, but I can't harness any of it.  I did the
math, I
>  redid the math.  Tapping the primary coil at turn 5 gave almost the
exact
>  same frequency as the secondary coil w/ toroid.  I turned it on, and
>  nothing happened but the brilliant spark of the spark gap.  I turned it
>  off, and walked up to the coil for a closer look, when I started
smelling
>  burnt PVC.  My 1" thick, 9" diameter secondary has burned a nice 32"
>  channel all the way down the length of the winding on the inside of the
>  form.  It was in tune, I had the proper capacitance, why wouldn't it
>  generate any streamers?  Anything at all? >>
> 
> Hi Ryan,
> So sorry to hear about you toasting your coil. It sounds like that tap-
> ping at turn 5 was a move in the right direction, though. That's more
> than likely the reason you suddenly noticed a 32" carbon track down
> the inside of your PVC secondary form. You were now generating more
> voltage than the secondary form could withstand. I know your frustration
> and have experienced it  firsthand, in the past. I would suggest trying
> building a smaller NST driven system for your first coil. For most of us,
> it takes the hand of experience to be able to corral the raw power of a 
> pole pig and get those coveted 10 ft + sparks spewing from the output 
> terminal!  Most of us go thru the learning curve of smaller coil systems
> before we tackle the "piggie".
> 
> David Rieben
> 
> 
>