RE: spark gap muffler?

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

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

>Original poster: "Christopher Boden by way of Terry Fritz
<twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <chrisboden-at-hotmail-dot-com>
>
>I've been working this week on designing/building the brunt of the new
SRSG 
>for Marks arrival this weekend (hence being at the motor shop yesterday
to 
>get the cradle).

>Since the SRSG will be used in close proximity to studens/public it has
to 
>be bombproof.

Agreed, within reason.

>Since the SRSG will be used often in a completely darkened room, it has
to 
>be light tight (or very close).

Why?  As long as you don't stare at the arc for extended periods,
there's no hazard, and it's likely that a Lexan shield will remove much
of the UV hazard.  For taking photos, I've never needed to cover the
gap.  I've always thought that operating coil pictures that don't show
the coil guts must be hiding sloppy workmanship, and that the light
produced from the gap does a good job illuminating the important bits.
See http://people.ne.mediaone-dot-net/lau/tesla/sparks.htm

>Since the SRSG performance will suffer in it's own self-generated
atmosphere 
>it has to be vented/cooled.

I think that the UV from the gap is more detrimental than the ozone to
the gap materials.

>Since the SRSG is frightfully loud it has to be acousticly shielded.

If your gap is louder than the streamers coming off the top load,
something is wrong.

Regards, Gary Lau
MA, USA.