Re: question

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

Original poster: "Luc by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <ludev-at-videotron.ca>

Hi David,


No it's not safe at all, fluorescent could be as bad as conductor
in this situation. I got serious shock and burn in past with that :-((

Cheers,

Luc Benard

Tesla list wrote:
> 
> Original poster: "David Thomson by way of Terry Fritz
<twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <dave-at-volantis-dot-org>
> 
> Hi Godfrey,
> 
> I fully understand what you mean by the Potential Transformer is not current
> limited.  I put it on my Tesla coil today.  The spark gap looked more like
> an arc welder.  My single thoriated tungsten, magnetically quenched, static
> spark gap just couldn't handle it.  I've been working all day to build a
> spark gap to handle the power.  Fortunately I have eight heavy duty military
> electrical contacts made with pure silver rings and some kind of
> non-corrosive, hard electrode.  A preliminary test with this new spark gap
> on my 15KV NST showed a 100% increase in spark length on my secondary
> terminal.
> 
> Yes, the impulse level does seem a bit low compared to others I have seen.
> But I don't intend to see anything over 50KV in the primary so that should
> be OK.  I'm hopeful that this higher current can be put to good use in my
> coils.
> 
> Tell me some safety tips concerning the secondary terminal when the amperage
> is increased.  I haven't worked with a high current transformer on a Tesla
> coil before.  Will it still be safe to hold a fluorescent tube to the
> terminal to draw off sparks?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Dave
> 
> David Thomson
> dave-at-volantis-dot-org <mailto:dave-at-volantis-dot-org>
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tesla list [mailto:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com]
> Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2002 5:58 PM
> To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Subject: RE: question
> 
> Original poster: "Loudner, Godfrey by way of Terry Fritz
> <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <gloudner-at-SINTE.EDU>
> 
> Hi David
> 
> My mistake that I thought you were writing about a primary. You certainly
> have a potential transformer, not a neon sign transformer. A potential
> transformer is not current limited, but a NST is current limited. A
> potential transformer is used to monitor the voltage level of a transmission
> line. High voltage is reduced to low voltage for connection with a volt
> meter. The 50kV peak could mean that the insulation can withstand a
> momentary transient of 50kV. Seems a little odd, usually the impulse level
> is 150kV.
> 
> Godfery Loudner
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Tesla list [SMTP:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com]
> > Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2002 8:18 AM
> > To:   tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> > Subject:      RE: question
> >
> > Original poster: "David Thomson by way of Terry Fritz
> > <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <dave-at-volantis-dot-org>
> >
> > Hi Godfrey,
> >
> > >In your original mailing, you wrote like you were talking about the
> > secondary. But a secondary is not flat,
> >
> > Mine is.  I wound a 27" diameter flat spiral secondary out of 21 gage
> > wire.
> > I'm doing several experiments with flat spiral secondaries.  You can see
> > some of my work with smaller flat spirals wound with three parallel wires
> > at
> > my web site www.tesla-coil-builder-dot-com.
> >
> > >What you call a potential transformer just might be a high voltage
> > testing
> > transformer.
> >
> > I'm learning a bit more about this transformer today.  I may have been
> > wrong
> > in stating it was DC output.  The transformer schematic on the cover shows
> > a
> > positive and negative terminal with arrows supposedly indicating the
> > direction of current.  But this may simply mean that one terminal is
> > intended to be on the ground side and the output may be AC after all.
> > It's
> > an older transformer made by Westinghouse and I have much to learn about
> > it.
> > One person has suggested to me that it is actually an old style neon sign
> > transformer.  It has a winding ratio of 120 to 1 and there is nothing
> > indicating there is a rectifier inside.
> >
> > If this is correct, then I have an old 14.4KV neon sign transformer rated
> > for 50KV peak.  The label clearly identifies this transformer as a
> > Potential
> > Transformer.  Perhaps the two are synonymous?  Are there any experts on
> > this
> > list who can clarify this terminology?
> >
> > David Thomson
> > dave-at-volantis-dot-org <mailto:dave-at-volantis-dot-org>
> >
> >
> >