Re: Problems with First Tesla Coil

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

Original poster: "by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <FutureT-at-aol-dot-com>

Dan,

The SRSG has to be phased for best spark output.  This phase
position will vary for different coils depending on their degree
of LTR-ness, etc.  Probably the best way to find the proper
phase position is to vary the phase by trial and error a little
at a time until the best results are obtained.  If you have a
long insulated rod, you can rotate the motor while the coil
is running to adjust the phase in real time.  Another way
is by using an remote electronic phase shifter circuit, or
other remote system.  There may be two phase positions
which will work, but one will work better than the other and
will draw less current.  My phase shifter circuit gives only
one half the full phase range, so additional pre-adjustment of
the motor position in its cradle may be needed.  Someone
suggested removing the line cord plug from the wall, and
flipping it 180 degrees to shift the phase partially to give
the phase shifter the needed extra range.  The electrode
gaps should be quite narrow, perhaps 0.010" or less.  If
you've done all this, then something else must be wrong,
although everything sounds fine the way you've described it.
The tuning should not be super-critical, and you should
get a spark output even by moving the primary tap in one-turn
increments.  I assume you're seeing sparking across the
rotary electrode gaps.  You may want to lay a long rod
across the toroid so it protrudes about 5" over the edge to
make it much easier for the spark to break out.  This makes
the initial tuning and set-up much easier.

John


>
> 5.  Anything else that i might be missing???  The SRSG is running fine and
> sounds like its properly running.  It is synchronized with the 60Hz and
> tuned correctly.
>