Re: Model Railroading Is Fun!

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

Original poster: "Alan Yang by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <megavolt121-at-mediaone-dot-net>

Did you check to make sure you didn't kill your caps?

-alan


----- Original Message -----
From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
To: <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2001 5:52 PM
Subject: Model Railroading Is Fun!


> Original poster: "Christopher Boden by way of Terry Fritz
<twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <chrisboden-at-hotmail-dot-com>
>
> On the cover of every issue of Model Railroading magazine is the motto,
> Model Railroading Is Fun!, this has been there as far back as I can
> remember, and was frequently shouted in the shop when my dad became
> frustrated trying to get something to work right, but couldn't. It was
> usually followed by a string of choice explatives.
>
> Last night, after getting the coil operating to perfection with it's
12/180
> power supply, I had to screw things up.
>
> Ok...total setup (for those of you who haven't followed the Sam project
for
> the past 2 years.....)
>
> 12kV 180mA NST Farm (I have to get more NSTs)
> 15 turn .25" primary, .25" between turns.
> 6"x30" secondary, 22awg.
> 12"x~40" topload (I really should measure that thing....)
> TCBOR style blown static gap.
> All interconnects are 2AWG or so, NST lacings are 6AWG. All fine stranded
> copper.
> Controlled through the new power cab I'm working on. 0-340VAC 30A cab.
> Safety Gap
> Caps are the 12kV MMC arrays. I was running 4 strings of 9 of our .1uF 2kV
> MMCs. I can go to a max of 12 strings if needed. 2 arrays of 6 strings
each.
>
>
>
> ok...we had 4 strings, 12/180, and everything was romping. Hurling arcs to
> light tubes and 55gal drums, and even the floor often enough I had to
shield
> the MMC caps.
>
> "Hey Ben....grab the pallet jack and go get the Pig."
>
> I should have said "Hey Ben, grab that nail gun and empty a clip into my
> face." It would at least have been more productive.
>
> I changed NOTHING in the circuit...NOTHING! except connecting the Pig, and
> when I fired it up, I got nothing out! The gap fires (and power arcs is I
go
> over Notch-3 on the Inductive ballest)....but no output from the coil.
>
> Ok.....hmmmmm well if I add more NST's I have to add more cap. With the
pig
> I'd have to add a LOT of cap. So I go from 6 strings to 10. ok...this
should
> work.........nope.....hmmmm
>
> Ok....rebuild the gap, reset all the spacings, use more gaps.....cool
>
> poo
>
> ok....less gaps......retune retune retune.....
>
> poo
>
>
> At this point it was 2300, I'd been working on the coil since 1300, and I
> had to stop for a while to abuse the drums in my office to keep from
taking
> a bat to the secondary.
>
> No matter how much I tune this beast I can only get 1" whimp arcs from a
> breakout point. NOTHING works and I KNOW it should. I don't want to have
to
> settle for the 12/180 supply when I've put so much work into this
beautiful
> Pig. We put 30 hours into just PAINTING it! lol It works great for jacobs
> ladders...but won't power the coil for squat.
>
> Ok....I know there's something incredibly basic I'm overlooking. A wire
that
> needs to be changed....s gap setting...something...what is it.
>
> I'll be over here in the corner kicking the cat if you need me.
>
>
> duck
>
>
>>
> Christopher A. Boden Geek#1
> President / C.E.O. / Alpha Geek
> The Geek Group
> www.thegeekgroup-dot-org
> Because the Geek shall inherit the Earth!
>