Re: Useful work and fun with Tesla apparatus.

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

Original poster: "BunnyKiller by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>" <bigfoo39-at-telocity-dot-com>

Tesla list wrote:

> Original poster: "will dork by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>"
<vcdmasta-at-hotmail-dot-com>
>
> Can someone please tell me a cheap way to make a ballast? I saw that someone
> used electric stove tops as a ballast, how would that work?
>
> Thanks
> Will McManus
>
> ----------
> Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at
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Hi Will...

there are 2 ways to "ballast" a non ballasted transformer. ( piggie)

1. with a resistive element set ( stove heaters, hot water heaters, real
resistors ( which are hard
to find and expensive to boot) heater elements from electric clothes dryers
etc.... only problem
here is that you get a voltage drop to the transformer with a resistive
ballast ( Ohms Law)

2. an actual inductor... basically a VERY large transformer EI core with a
about 200 turns of wire
rated for the amount of current you wish to limit.

2A.  using old MOTs and NSTs as ballast

but honestly ...  a decient hi power ballast isnt cheap, somewhere along
the line you will spend
the money for either the resistive elements or the wire to wind your own
inductor..

try the inductor method before you spend too much on resistors.  you will
need to learn about
transformers but hey!!  learning is FUN :)   ( or else you wouldnt be doing
this ;)     its the
challenge ...


Scot D