Re: 1st Tesla Coil

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

Original poster: "Laurence Davis by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <meknar-at-hotmail-dot-com>

Chris,
  try a smaller toroid or sphere.  adjust your tuning on the primary;
most people have an alligator clip for the outer turns.

you might want to buy a large globe lightbulb and socket for it (like the 
kind that mount on the ceiling).  the globe bulb is really sensitive
to the amount of voltage at the top. (use it as a top load).  when your 
tuning gets better, the sparks on the inside of the globe get stronger and 
brighter.  use a small wire from the lightbulb socket to the toroid.

do a search for "java tesla calculator" on google or lycos.
they have calculators at classictesla-dot-com that will help you find
an approximate tuning for you coil. but experimentation will give you the 
best output results.

play with tuning. use a smaller top load first. try a clear light bulb to 
assist in tuning.

larry.



>From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
>To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
>Subject: 1st Tesla Coil
>Date: Thu, 08 Aug 2002 08:07:10 -0600
>
>Original poster: "quezacotl GF by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" 
><quezacotl_14000000000000-at-yahoo-dot-com>
>
>
>Hi Everybody,
>
>          This is my first post to the mailing list and one of my buddies 
>and I
>finished our first coil about a month ago. It took quite a while and with a 
>bit
>of help (thanks Greg) we got it completed. The problem is that we can't 
>draw
>anything from the coil without a grounding wire, and with it, we get all of 
>the
>corona we want but actual sparks are thin, weak, 6-7" sparks. I'm asking 
>the
>great and infinite wisdom of the tesla coil mailing list whether or not 
>this is
>the best our coil can put out, or if there's something we can do. Here are 
>the
>specs for the coil:
>
>Transformer: 12kV/30mA NST rated for 120 Volts. I am using the NST 
>protection
>filter seen at
><http://hot-streamer-dot-com/greg/filter.htm>http://hot-streamer-dot-com/greg/filter
>.htm
>
>Capacitor: 7 - 16oz saltwater bottles. We've tried 8 bottles but it didn't 
>make
>much of a diffrence. ( I know MMTs are better, but I'm too poor to afford
>them.)
>
>Spark gap: 7 - 3/4" copper pipes spaced about 1/16" apart. Gap can be 
>widened
>or shortened if necessary.
>
>Primary coil: 15 turns of 1/4" copper refridgeration tubing spaced 1/4" 
>apart.
>
>Secondary coil: approx 1080 turns of #26 gauge magnet wire. Coil is wrapped 
>for
>18.75" around a 3" diameter ABS pipe. Bottom of coil is connected to ground 
>via
>a piece of rebar drove into the ground.
>
>Toroid: 4" cross section aluminum flex duct. Outer diameter is 15.25".
>
>If you have any questions, advice, comments, or just want to make fun of me 
>for
>the fact that I can't build a Tesla Coil properly ( everybody else does ) 
>then
>just email me at
><mailto:quezacotl_14000000000000-at-yahoo-dot-com>quezacotl_14000000000000-at-yahoo-dot-com
>
>Thanks, Chris
>
>
>
>
>
>