safety gap / terry filter question

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

Original poster: "Laurence Davis by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <meknar-at-hotmail-dot-com>

just installed geek caps.  noticed the safety gaps firing more than usual.
first slowly, then more frequent. then a few loud(er) cracks.
after realizing that the terry filter (that is 'folded') is arcing between 
nst hot 1 and nst hot 2,
I readjusted the PE tubing insulation.  it helped but I need to think of 
another fix or a redesign.

BUT I ramble.  the safety gap fires occasionally and then increases.
THEN it arcs between the hot legs of the output.  about 1.25" or so.  this 
is the
unfiltered side.  what would be causing this?

ALSO I'm currently testing a helical primary on the coil. so my coupling is 
probably like .2 or .3.
coil specs... 12kv/60ma. sucker gap. 12.5nf cap. 4.5inch sec (22awg, 36inch 
winding length)
primary is 8 or 9 turns on 7" sono tube with 1/2" spacing using 12gauge 
stranded.
no racing. as sonotube to secondary spacing is like 2inches. AND i have like 
5 coats of poly on it.
if it carbon tracks, I have like 7 miles of wire anyway. it just sounded 
(helical primary) like something
fun to try.

why arcing between legs of safety gap?
1) too darn close, duh!
2) high freq likes to travel on surfaces.
3) unknown effect from high coupling ?

terry filter questions.
when movs fail, they fail closed? (as in 0 resistance)
will arcing between legs of filter (after the movs, caps, bleeders, but 
before power resistors) damage or stress filter?
will arcing between safety gaps damage or stress filter? (between high sides 
of output, not as in to ground in overvoltage protection mode)


any tips?
larry.