Re: Triggered spark gaps for coils

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

Original poster: "Metlicka Marc by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>" <mystuffs-at-orwell-dot-net>

bert,
thank you for the info and the very fine links. after reading through, i
have come to several conclusions, first is that what i had WAS an arc
lamp. after reading in your post about the pressures involved in the
lamps, i had a strong suspicion because when it went, it went with a
loud explosion and glass (which i now know WAS quartz) shrapnel flying
everywhere.
but, most importantly i realize that it might have been the best thing
that my drill fell over onto it. after reading through the links i see
that at many stages along in the testing it could have and eventually
would have blew on it's own due to my just not knowing what i was
dealing with.
i still think it will be an interesting thing to try, and i'm going to
see if i can get the other two from the plant that they were buried on a
shelf at, but this time many more precautions will be taken.
i don't think the post on the high resistance is a factor of the arc
lamps, if i understood the crash coarse i just took. the resistance
drops as the arc hits the wall stabilized state. whether this will
happen in a pulsed mode, ?.
i don't think this will become an everyday gap for sure, just to much
involved starting with the mounting (which is the first maybe of a
premature explosion for me) and then the cooling water issue, which i'm
sure if i would have got to the point of light, the tube would have
given up because water wasn't even considered and i don't think a muffin
fan would have done it .
these lamps have a ribbon seal so they may take a little abuse compared,
and they actually have a sealed in triggering electrode at center to the
gap, the cathodes are pointed and all things lead towards them being an
arc lamp and not a flash lamp.
at least if i manage to get them, with the info and links you've
supplied, i may be able to get to the tc gapping stage without loosing
another one. as far as triggering goes, i WAS thinking of using a diac
to pulse a large strobe trigger transformer to the trigger electrode? if
i get that far i may be asking for some input on that. i know i've seen
the same if not similar lamps sold on ebay, this is why i didn't think
they were all that special of an item, needing such special care. 
i will keep you posted.
marc