Re: Non ballasting a pig?

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

Original poster: "Jason Johnson by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <hvjjohnson13-at-hotmail-dot-com>


> It should be noted that there are two important current limiting
variables
> that are involved when a large Tesla coil is operating and a ballast
is not
> used. One variable is the size and length of the wiring from your
service to
> the utility transformer. If this wiring is the typical #6 AWG and it
is a
> couple hundred feet to the utility transformer there could be
considerable
> current limiting at the Tesla coil location. The other variable is the
> available short circuit capacity at the utility transformer. In the
country
> where the distances between transformers are great there is also a
current
> limiting in the distribution system.

Agreed.

>
> All electric services have a certain current limiting effect
especially when
> you are drawing high currents. You could be living in an area where
you
> would not need a ballast for your TC if the utility transformer is a
long
> distance away and you have a feeble electric wiring service. If this
isn't
> the case you may have some bad service connections that can change in
> current limiting value and create a big hazard to you.
>
> John Couture
>
> -----------------------------------
>

Well, its not a long length of wiring or bad connections on my
particular coil (not saying anything in a general case). I only live 2.5
miles from a main generator for my area, and the wiring is quite direct
from the transformer to my breaker box to my garage. I have run my coil
on three different circuits from the breaker box, at two other peoples
houses, and in a warehouse. Performance is always comparable, and the
main factor I've seen that varies much of anything is weather (wind,
humidity, and temperature in particular). Bad connections and poor
wiring service are something to watch for on any coil, in any location,
however.

<< Jason R. Johnson >>
G-3 #1129
The Geek Group
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