Re: 811A first light

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

Original poster: "Area31 Research Facility by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <rwstephens-at-hurontario-dot-net>

Brent,
 
I knew you were giving the Coronatron its due by flattering it with the 'son
of' idea.  No problem.  I wish I had really had the opportunity to explore its
capabilities but health problems got in the way.  As originally configured (as
it still sits today) it has three EEV BR1160 ,5kW triodes in parallel, that
would be 50% more plate dissipation that the 3CX1000.  I've never more than
idled the Coronatron due to deficiencies in the first experimental plate tank. 
It was wound with RG-9 employing the dual outer silvered braid as the conductor
Tesla coilers use whatever parts they have right!?  At 6.5 kW smoothed DC input
the device outputs 5 kW RMS CW  at 100 KHz (tap tunable).  I measure the output
power by lighting a bank of 1000 watt tungsten filament lamps with 230 volt
filaments driven in parallel from a 2 turn pick-up loop wound near the tank
coil. I can add load 1kW at a time as needed by screwing in the bulbs in their
porcelain sockets. I can measure up to 20 kW in the lab this way.  At 5 kW
output after 60 seconds the tank coil, 24 inches in diameter on a phenolic form
is so hot that it begins to melt.  I had plans to replace the hurriedly
fashioned tank coil with one made from copper tubing 3/4 inch OD.  I never got
that far.  Had I progressed a bit farther with the machine I could probably
give a good ballpark guesstimate to your question.  Things as they are, I do
not feel confident making a prediction.  I can say with solid conviction that
the blowtorch-like flame represents an inexhaustible power sink that will
consume anything and everything in the way of energy that you can feed it.  The
intense voltage gradient RF field that this machine was able to produce with
ease at merely 1.5 kW power levels into a large conventional resonator and non
breaking out toroid was scary.  Two people holding 12 inch metal crescent
wrenches in bare hands and wearing street shoes, standing on a radius from the
coil could pull a silent white hot 1" power arc between the wrenches that had
the intensity of a 15-at-60 NST. 
 
There is much development and experimentation that this device should be
pressed into service to do.  I suppose I'd trade it for the right round screen
vintage television set like a working RCA CT-100 or any other 1954, 15" color
set.  SO Cal is where these old TV's are located.  Los Angeles area!
 
Rob
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: <mailto:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>Tesla list 
> To: <mailto:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>tesla-at-pupman-dot-com 
> Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2001 22:24
> Subject: Re: 811A first light
>
> Original poster: "Brent Turner by way of Terry Fritz
> <<mailto:twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
> <<mailto:bturner-at-apc-dot-net>bturner-at-apc-dot-net>
>
> Hi Robert...
>
> Didn't mean to tread on any trademarks there... :-)
>
> Regarding the 4-1000, I was thinking more on the lines of something
> similar to John's pulsed-staccato mode. Averages the current on the
> plate to prevent that 'Chernobyl' effect...
>
> How long an arc would you expect off that 3-10,000???
>
> - brent
>
>
> Tesla list wrote:
> > 
> > Original poster: "Area31 Research Facility by way of Terry Fritz
> <<mailto:twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
> <<mailto:rwstephens-at-hurontario-dot-net>rwstephens-at-hurontario-dot-net>
> > 
> > Unfortunately I never saw any of the previous postings on this thread.
> > 
> > Although I see Brent was careful (thanx Brent) to preface this carefully as
> > 'Hooooeeeey!', I wish to point out that as the inventor of the Coronatron I
> > reserve the intellectual property copyright on this name and immediate
> family
> > of descendant derivatives.  I will not consider releasing it until it has
> made
> > me at least ten cents profit.
> > 
> > As for the 4-1000.... I fully recognize that employing whatever
> components that
> > one can lay their hands on in the Tesla coil hobby is the rule, however I
> have
> > this to say. I get 22" out of a single 833A (without tube damage).  I would
> > expect 28" or better from a 3-1000 (an experiment I've never tried).  From
> a
> > 4-1000 I would expect possibly 24" but more likely grief, a melted screen
> grid
> > and thusly a ruined tube.  Tetrodes are ill suited to this application,
> which
> > would explain why industry doesn't use them in self-driven industrial
> > oscillators.  There is no shortage of entirely adequate large transmitting
> > triodes available for this application.
> > 
> > Dr. John, sell that new brand 4-1000 and socket to an amateur who needs
> it for
> > his big homebrew linear (ebay hint hint) and use the money to buy a valve
> with
> > one less 'ode.  If you have a TV station plate xfmer it sounds like a
> tube even
> > beefier than a something-1000 is in order. Try to find an external anode
> > glass-metal 3-2500 or newer ceramic-metal 3CX2500 with flying filament
> leads.
> > I had one until recently when, since I'm not doing any coiling anymore,
> it got
> > traded for a vintage TV set to an amateur who wanted it to melt ice off his
> > antenna.   I have an Eimac 3CX10,000D which I'd trade for the right,
> round CRT
> > vintage TV set, ....if you want to get really creative.
> > 
> > If you are an amateur that wants to melt ice off his antenna quickly, I
> also
> > have a Eimac 4CX15,000D with socket and filament transformer available.
> > 
> > Robert W. Stephens
> > Director
> > AREA31 Research Facility
> > AREA31 Radio Observatory
> > Co-curator
> > Hangar31 Vintage TV Museum
> > <<http://www.area31-dot-org>http://www.area31-dot-org>www.area31-dot-org
> > 
> > 
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > >
> > > From: <<mailto:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>mailto:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>Tesla list
> > > To:
>
> <<mailto:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>mailto:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com><mailto:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> >tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> > > Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2001 09:25
> > > Subject: Re: 811A first light
> > >
> > > Original poster: "Brent Turner by way of Terry Fritz
> > >
> <<<mailto:twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>mailto:twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net><mailto:twftesla-at-qw
> est-dot-net>twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
> > >
> <<<mailto:bturner-at-apc-dot-net>mailto:bturner-at-apc-dot-net><mailto:bturner-at-apc-dot-net>b
> turner-at-apc-dot-net>
> > >
> > > Hooooeeeey!
> > >
> > > Son of CoronaTron???  :-)
> > >
> > > You should be able to get 24" of discharge with a 4-1000. Especially if
> > > you overvolt the plate. (For *short* run times...)
> > >
> > > - brent
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Tesla list wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Original poster: "Dr. John Gudenas by way of Terry Fritz
> > >
> <<<mailto:twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>mailto:twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net><mailto:twftesla-at-qw
> est-dot-net>twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
> > >
> <<<mailto:comsciprof-at-ameritech-dot-net>mailto:comsciprof-at-ameritech-dot-net><mailto
> :comsciprof-at-ameritech-dot-net>comsciprof-at-ameritech-dot-net>
> > > >
> > > > Hi Brent
> > > > No argument, I should have elaborated more on "device". Note the size
> of my
> > > > grid leak resistor just to keep three 811A's happy and allow run time
> up to
> > > > 4 minutes before the plates are cherry red and this is around 500 mA.
> > > > However, all is about to change. I was with Bert Hickman at a local Ham
> > > fest
> > > > last weekend and picked up a NOS  GE 4-1000A and Eimac socket. I have a
> > > > plate transformer from an old TV station and all the other parts I need
> > > (but
> > > > time). When it lights, I'll post the list. Thanks for filling in the
> > > > details.
> > > > John W. G.
> > >
>