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>

>Original poster: "Edward Wingate by way of Terry Fritz
<twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <ewing7>-at-rochester.rr-dot-com>
>
>If it's going to be a competition to see who can get the most bang
>with a given input power, then limit the input power ONLY and leave
>the rest to the imagination of the builder. Isn't that what
>competition is all about? If you put rules and restrictions on the
>system design, innovation and ingenuity are stifled and the end result
>is a moot point. You may as well hand out blueprints and a materials
>list and everyone can build the exact same coil! Pretty boring!
>
>I can't wait to see what happens if the only rule is an input power
>limit and everything else is fair game. There are some pretty crafty
>people out there and I would prefer to let the creative juices flow
>and see what materializes!
>
>With a 4KV, 20ma power limit the cost of materials isn't really a
>limiting factor as it is in large systems either.
>
>Another $.02,
>
>Ed Wingate RATCB

While another 4/20 NST won't jeopardize my retirement plans, I don't want
to risk destroying mine in order to compete.  Setting the gaps so that the
cap rings up to 10kV will enjoy a performance advantage, as will running
with no shunts at all, but I shouldn't have to risk losing the NST.  

Do you think that having category 1 limited to 4/20 NST's with a 50mA short
circuit current and 50 mil static gap restriction, and a category 2 where
any NST not exceeding 200VA Isc*Vfaceplate with any sort of gap, would be
sufficient?  Or do you feel that a 3rd category using only a 4/20 NST with
no restrictions is also needed?  Am I the only 4/20 user that would like a
limit to how hard the NST may be pushed?  I do wish to make this
competition open to the largest possible audience, but I want the
categories to be fair and meaningful, where improvements are made by
innovation rather than seeing how close to destruction things may be pushed.

Gary Lau
MA, USA