RE: Low Voltage Tesla Coils

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

Original poster: "Wall Richard Wayne by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <rwall-at-ix-dot-netcom-dot-com>

> One may even be able to go down to ~300 or ~150 VDC
> (line voltage just rectified) and eliminate that transformer!!  An Off
Line
> Tesla Coil (OFTC - sorry again :-)))

Terry, list,

I've considered wiring a common variac as an auto transformer.  Probably
dangerous as heck, but that's what we do the best, eh?

Put the full 220 vac across one HV leg and the wiper of say a 1256D and
take Vout from the other leg.  Would have to figure the lower limit of
wiper travel and put in a mechanical stop.  Wouldn't want to put 220 vac
and 150 amps across two windings.  Watts per variac wind could easily be
calculated and wiper travel limited to a safe range.  After all, we all
over drive variacs to 260-280 vac now.  What's a little more?

Conceivably 500 to 800 vac could be available for your IGBT switched coil. 
And, no heavy iron transformer.  

Comments?

RWW