RE: setting the safty gap ???

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

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

Hi,
Mine does the same thing but does NOT do this while the coil is running.
Also make sure you set one gap at a time, not both together. Hook up one
HV lead to one gap and open it just past the point of firing, then do
the other. Mine are slightly different (one is .080 and the other around
.100) so I marked the NST and each safety gap so I don't get them
crossed. You also need some sort of power control (I.E. Variac) to
increase the voltage in/out slowly for the NST or the sudden surge will
arc farther from over voltage.
Once they are set don't mess with them again. They should not fire while
running the coil.
Jim

-----Original Message-----
From: Tesla list [mailto:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com] 
Sent: Wednesday, March 27, 2002 1:08 AM
To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: setting the safty gap ???

Original poster: "Shaun Epp by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
<scepp-at-mts-dot-net>


Ok so I'm getting ready to try out my tesla after rebuilding a few parts
but
I can't get the safty gap to stop firing when I start it.  My system is
running a 12Kv -at- 60mA NST with an RC filter and a safty gap made up
three
brass balls  ~ 1cm diameter.  First I adjusted the two gaps past the
point
of not arcing over on there own with 120volt input.  Then I forced an
arc
with my shorting sticks and the arc wouln't go out, since then I've been
widening the gaps past 5/32" and it still won't go out (unless I blow on
it
really hard 8 - ))  . No load is attached to the safty gap, I'm just
trying
to set it before I hook up the tank cct.

Thanks,
Shaun Epp