Re: SRSG break rate

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

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

In a message dated 6/22/01 1:45:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time, tesla-at-pupman-dot-com 
writes:

> 
>  If the gap fires at a positive peak, the next firing will be at a
>  negative peak.  After the firing at the positive peak (the high point on
>  the voltage sine wave), the next quarter cycle is positive voltage
>  (decreasing), and then the next quarter cycle is negative voltage
>  (increasing).  Then it fires at the next peak.  So if firing is at the
>  peaks of the voltage sine wave, between any two firings the transformer
>  delivers equal positive and negative voltage, which would seem to have a
>  net effect of doing nothing.

Bill,

I forgot to mention, but the transformer stores energy in its
inductance, this causes things to behave differently than it
would otherwise be.  Rest assured that no energy is wasted,
except for the usual resistive wire losses, and iron core losses.
>  
>  Before I start building a SRSG, I'd like to have some confidence that
>  I'll be able to phase it properly without frying my beloved NST's in the
>  process.  Maybe I should just stick with the static gap.  

Phasing a SRSG is not a big deal.  You just turn up the power 
a little bit with the variac until the gap fires, then you adjust the
gap phase until the loudest firing and longest sparks are obtained,
then turn up the power a little more, etc.  until you're at full power
and best phase.  It's takes all of 20 seconds using electric or
mechanical remote phase control.  It is important however to
make sure that you're at the best phase position.  Sometimes
there's another phase position which will give long sparks but
will draw a great amount of current.  For this reason it is best
to monitor the current to the  coil and  make sure you have the
best position.  Also there's a point where if you go too far
with the phase position, the coil will stop firing.  This is a "bad"
point which can destroy NST's.  But if you use an LTR sized
cap, your cap voltage won't go too high, and your NST should
be protected.   Well if you can't get longer streamers , maybe
your toroid is too small.  If you're getting a lot of simultaneous
streamers off the toroid, it's probably too small for longest sparks.
You're using quite a lot of power and should be able to get longer
sparks.

John

>My coil is not
>  up to where it should be though (three 15/60 NST's, 0.06uf cap, 1000
>  turn 6.5" secondary, etc... producing approx 3 to 3.5 foot purple
>  streamers), and I thought a SRSG might help.  I'm pretty confident about
>  my tap points for the various toroids I've run with.  I've tried all
>  conceivable combinations of adjusting the tap point, toroid size, static
>  gap spacing and primary-secondary coupling, and can't seem to get it
>  past 3.5 foot streamers.
>  
>   - Bill Vanyo
>  
>