RE: How and where to begin?

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

Original poster: "Mccauley, Daniel H by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <daniel.h.mccauley-at-lmco-dot-com>


Here are some easy steps to quickly get you on your way.  Follow this and
you'll be coiling soon enough ! ! ! !

1.  First, start looking for your power source.  I would start asking around
for a used (which usually can obtained free from neon sign stores etc...)
Neon Sign transformer.  Look anywhere for a value from 4kV/20mA on up to
15kV/60mA.  Any value will work and will provide a great basis for a starter
coil.  4kV or 6kV units are nice as you can build a really small coil which
is great to learn on.

2.  Start searching the tesla webring site and reading all you can on
various coils etc...

3.  Once you have your transformer, you can easily start designing the rest
of your coil as all other components can be
customized from this piece.  Basically, all you need to build a working coil
is your neon sign transformer, some copper wire (or tubing), magnet wire for
your secondary, a piece of pvc tube, a capacitor (easily and cheaply built
when using 4kv and 6kv small coils), and some topload.

4.  Download wintesla or another telsa coil cad program.  This will help
determine other parameters of your design you need without ever taking out a
calculator.

Although there is a lot of theory and mathematics in tesla coils, almost
anyone can build one that works quite well without using any electrical or
mathematical knowledge at all.

Dan





Hi there, you experts!
I have read some of your messages concerning the Tesla coil. Itīs very
interesting...
But how and where could I start to make my own Tesla coil system? Do I
need some special knowledge or electrotechnical education? Is it
"lawful" to construct such equipment?

Thanks,
Seppo Janhonen
Finland