RE: caps and JL

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

Original poster: "by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <jduva-at-baytechnologies-dot-net>

Here's an interesting tidbit that I've run into when placing caps in a JL
setup...
I have a rebuilt 12/60 NST that now runs at 11850V and 184 ma.  By itself,
running a JL for testing, it could raise an arc to jump a gap of about 4"
while drawing a full 15 amps from the 120V mains line.  I started to play
around with my 30nf 35kV Maxwell caps, first wiring one in parallel with the
JL (machine gun, if I remember correctly), then I wired one in series with
one of the HV leads from the rebuilt NST.  I enjoyed a louder 60Hz hum,
whiter arcs, and longer arcs.  I was also now drawing between 6-9 amps from
the wall as the arc ran up the JL.  Intrigued, I wired a Maxwell cap in
series with both HV leads from the NST.  The whole setup will now arc the 7"
gap at the top of my JL and draw a measly ~1 amp from the wall, according to
my analog panel meter.  The secondary windings in the NST (potted in
petroleum jelly...many odd looks at the store with 8 cans of petroleum
jelly...) still get nice an hot..hot enough to almost boil the petroleum
jelly.

Is this power correction from the secondary side?  If so, has anybody
noticed a  lower amp draw from the wall in resonant charging tank circuits?
I can't wait to use these Maxwell caps and this NST in a coil!

wishing there was more time in the day...
-Joe Duva