Re: Multiple Questions

["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 6/28/01 10:21:36 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
tesla-at-pupman-dot-com writes:

> Over the past two years I have had quite a few questions about tesla coils 
> but
>  was unable to confirm/deny any information 100%. While I do not think I 
ever
>  will be able to, tapping the minds of everyone on this list will 
certinally 
> get
>  me somewhere. 
>  Questions
>   
>  1) Does the thickness of the wall in the secondary form affect anything? 
if 
> yes
>  then what and how. (my secondary uses irrigation pipe - very thick walled,
>  about 1/2 inch pvc)

CJ,

The effect is so slight, that the spark length is not affected to any
noticeable degree.

>  4) Where do you find the disc, electrodes, and shaft for a RSG

Use Lexan from plastics store in yellow pages, or phenolic from
McMaster Carr, etc.   Steel bolts can even be used for electrodes,
I use them in some of my coils.
>   
>  5) Is it acurate to say that you should have no more than 800 turns on a
>  secondary.

No.  I find better results using up to 1700 turns, but 800 turns is OK
too.
>   
>  6) What are the advantages/disadvantages to each type of primary coil. 
(this
>  one will bring lots of discussion)

Best overall is usually the flat pancake for various reasons such
as simplicity, less likelihood of primary strikes.
>   
>  7) What are good prices for NST

Sometimes they are free, or $10 or $20 used at neon shops, or
on ebay, etc.
>   
>  8) Is it worth it to use more than 2 NST's to try and acheive higher 
current 
> at
>  a much lower voltage?

Higher voltage is a little better theoretially, and makes it easy for
the spark gap to work.
>   
>  9) I have run my previous coils for less than 30 seconds at a time, many 
> people
>  have horror stories of things breaking, how long do you usually have to 
run 
> a
>  coil to mess up a NST? (medium sized coil, average components)

If there are flaws in the design, such as a too wide gap with resonant
charging ect, the NST can be destroyed very quickly.
>   
>  10) People have referecend neon sign shops many times on websites as being 
> good
>  places to find NSTs cheap, however I have never seen or even heard of a 
neon
>  sign shop outside of tesla coil sites. I looked in the phone book and found
>  nothing? Do I live in some abnormal area or are they not so common?

It is possible you live in an abnormal area.

John Freau
>