RE:primary dummy loading

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

Original poster: "Finn Hammer by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>" <f-hammer-at-post5.tele.dk>

Gary!

When I run my coil at full power in the basement, I simply short the
topload directly to ground. Sometimes I let a small gap exist, to hear
the sound of a healthy connecting arc.

Cheers, Finn Hammer


Original poster: "Lau, Gary by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>"
<Gary.Lau-at-compaq-dot-com>

While I really can't be running my coil in my basement due to
streamer-strike concerns, I would like to be able to do some level of
live indoor testing to scope gap timing.  If I simply remove the
secondary, there can be no quench and the gap and cap activity will me
much more stressful than I'd like to impose on them.

I was wondering if anyone has come up with a way to dissipate the bulk
of each primary bang in something less hazardous to my basement (and me
and my scope) than streamers.  I was thinking of either some kind of
dummy load resistor in series with the primary.  Or perhaps placing a
sheet of aluminum slightly above the primary to dissipate the bangs as
eddy currents?

Gary Lau
MA, USA