Re: spark gaps

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

Original poster: "Ed Phillips by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <evp-at-pacbell-dot-net>

Tesla list wrote:
> 
> Original poster: "by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
<Megavolt57-at-aol-dot-com>
> 
> Thanks, this is what I thought. On the first run of my coil (about 8 months
> ago) there was no output off the secondary. I had the spark gap set at about
> a 1/16" apart because I wanted to make sure that nothing was going to be
> damaged. While I was watching the gap, I noticed that it was an arc and not a
> spark (thanks also for the clarification of terms) I haven't gotten back to
> it yet, but in my mind I have been trying to figure out why it wasn't
> functioning; this would explain it.
> 
> 73, Kc0Ion, "Ion-Boy"

	On the subject of sparks vs arcs be aware that a "normal gap" set so
close that it arcs is in no way equivelent to an "arc converter"
intended for RF generation.  The latter are normally run from DC with
more or less continuous DC current, and are CW generators.  Have some
good web pages on the subject it anyone is interested enough for me to
dig them out.

Ed