Re: triggered gaps

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

Original poster: "Jim Lux by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>" <jimlux-at-earthlink-dot-net>

How big of a capacitor are you using in your dimmer/coil setup?  If you just
hook a dimmer straight to the coil, you probably will run too much current
through the coil.. Put a cap in series, and it limits the current.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
To: <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Sent: Friday, March 30, 2001 11:01 AM
Subject: triggered gaps


> Original poster: "Metlicka Marc by way of Terry Fritz
<twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>" <mystuffs-at-orwell-dot-net>
>
> all,
> in my beginning tests on the triggered spark gaps, i have found that a
> dimmer and ford ignition coil works very well for the trigger source. my
> only problem has been the coil getting hot very quickly?
> for the test gap i used two carbide points and a 5\30 nst connected
> across them. i now tried another carbide point for the trigger electrode
> (tungsten wire was burning up).
> without the trigger i could initiate a 1/4" arc between the electrodes,
> with the trigger i could initiate and maintain up to 1/2" gap. i spread
> the main electrodes to 1" with the trigger point centered and just off
> of the arc path, with the dimmer at it's lowest setting the triggered
> fired the gap at a steady 120 fires per second on my scope.
> i will now try a fan for quenching, installing a cap and putting it on a
> coil.
> might be a lighter alternative to a sync. gap?
> of coarse with the fine work terry's doing on the ssgap, it may all be
> for not?
> marc m.
>
>
>