RE: The Tabletop Tesla Coil Showdown - OFFICIAL RULES and WEBSITE

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

Original poster: "Lau, Gary by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <Gary.Lau-at-hp-dot-com>


2.  Coil must be of a "conventional" type meaning the tank circuit can only
be comprised of the NST, spark gap, capacitor, and primary coil.
Intermediate rectification and voltage multiplier circuits are not
permitted as are the use of additional transformers to step the voltage up.
This includes magnifier type designs.    

GL> It's probably academic since folks are unlikely to bother with a
magnifier configuration on a table-top coil, but I don't see where that
would violate the underlying spirit of the competition - using the same
basic power supply without running it into the danger-zone.  If adding
diodes, 3rd coils, or magic beans between the power supply and top load
improves performance without overstressing anything, then great!  Of
greater concern is governing the gap.  I KNOW that I can get better
performance if I open up my gap.  I would propose setting a .050" maximum
static gap to keep the field safe and level, except that this may hobble
category 3 entries using higher than a 4kV NST.  Maybe just for category 1 &
2?

DM>>>>>>Except how would you regulate rotary gaps??  Also, the voltage
characterics of a gap
are also dependent on the physical characteristics of the gap as well.  A
0.050" wide gap using (2) 3" copper pipes is much different than a 0.050"
point-point gap.

GLGL> Because depending on break rate and cap size, RSG's may exhibit a cap
charging voltage that may be in excess of what's safe for the NST.  I
propose allowing RSG's only in category 3.   I fully understand that the
breakdown voltage of static gaps is dependant upon electrode geometry,
among other things.  But keeping the breakdown voltage high IS part of the
art, and specifying a maximum separation will impose an easily met limit to
Vgap to keep things safe and fair for categories 1 & 2.  If one wanted to
use a needle gap, it would certainly have little chance of being a
contender, regardless of such rules.  If you don't want limits imposed on
your Vgap, you'll have to enter under category 3.  And I should probably
also suggest that for multi-stage static gaps for category 1 or 2, the sum
total of all gap segments must not exceed 0.050".

Regards, Gary Lau
MA, USA