RE: Simple Static Gap Distance

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

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

Hi Dan:

The breakdown voltage is extremely dependant on the exact geometry of your
electrodes.  If you don't have identical ball electrodes, a table won't
help.  The only way to set the gap is to do so experimentally - adjust it
in the circuit with only the gap connected to the NST, to the point where
it just begins to arc.

The coil you refer to was mine and this is what I did (although I only
claim to have 9", maybe 10" streamers).  For that transformer and for a
single cylinder gap using 1 1/8" copper pipes, the separation was 0.05".
See http://www.laushaus-dot-com/tesla/minicoil.htm

Regards, Gary Lau
MA, USA



 -----Original Message-----
From: 	Tesla list [mailto:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com] 
Sent:	Monday, August 26, 2002 2:22 PM
To:	tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject:	Simple Static Gap Distance

Original poster: "Mccauley, Daniel H by way of Terry Fritz
<twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <daniel.h.mccauley-at-lmco-dot-com>



I've been trying to find a chart or something on what distance I should set
my static gap distance for.  I did manage to find a very nice chart on Terry
Fritz' website but it was for large spark gaps using large corona balls.
I'm planning on using two smaller copper pipes with a blower fan to help it.

This is going to be used on a new coil I'm building.  After seeing someone
with a similar coil this past weekend, I felt a need for a small "desktop"
size coil.

So far the specifications are:

1.625" x 6" commercially spun toroid (6.66pF)
4kV, 20mA open-frame neon transformer
Two-electrode static gap with blower fan
0.0112uF, 7.5kV MMC

I should be able to fit this into a very small package.  The coil i saw this
weekend was similar (same transformer) etc... and was very loud and able to
produce 12-24" streamers.  Very impressive . . . and cute!!!!!

Dan