Re: the cure for racing sparks

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

Original poster: "marc metlicka by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <mystuffs-at-orwell-dot-net>

amen!
racing arcs only occur when too much power is being coupled by, either
too few primary turns (producing a very small magnetic coupling field
too the secondary), or too tight of a coupling from primary to secondary
causing way to much power induced into the secondary with no chance  of
it all reverse couplinging back into the primary within the oscillation. 
 there must be a balance within the set-up that allows a two way
transfer of energy, then the top load sheilding/charging factor comes
into play!
Mem
Tesla list wrote:
> 
> Original poster: "D.C. Cox by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
<DR.RESONANCE-at-next-wave-dot-net>
> 
> Steve:
> 
> Two things come to mind.  First, racing sparks are usually caused by either
> too small a toroid on top which provides ineffective electostatic field
> control down the coil and second, the usual culprit, not enough available
> inductance in the primary (too few turns) to hit the proper tuning point.
> You are tuning at the wrong primary resonance point.
> 
> A 12 inch sphere is adequate, but keep it as close to the winding as
> possible, ie, no more than 1/4-1/2 inch away.
> 
> A second note is that you may be "overcoupled" which causes the
> "double-hump" on the freq, ie, splitting the res. freq. into two different
> freqs which beat against each other.  Try elevating your sec. coil. or
> moving your primary further out.  With this size coil we get 28 inch sparks
> (our model M-20).  The sec. is elevated 1 full inch above the primary coils
> horizontal plane and the pri to sec coilform spacing is also 1 inch.
> 
> The first thing to do is get rid of your present primary and set up some
> scrap 12 AWG house wiring on cardboard (cut slits for the wire).  Set up
> this test with about 30 turns and adjust tuning with variac at 30 % and your
> spark gap set close together.  In many cases the racing sparks are caused
> because you simply do not have enough available primary turns to find the
> tuning point.  After tuning carefully with scrap wire you will find the
> correct tuning point and then it's time to replace it with your beautiful
> primary.
> 
> I would be willing to bet when you do this you will hit the proper tunig
> point and then the racing sparks will go away totally.  Remember, they only
> occur when you are grossly out of tune.
> 
> Dr. Resonance
> 
>