Re: lower limit to break rate

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

Original poster: "Bert Hickman by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <bert.hickman-at-aquila-dot-net>

Jimmy,

A low breakrate, down to about 60 BPS, can provide good performance
However, too low a breakrate is not - ten BPS is too low to permit
sparks to grow from bang to bang since the heated channel from the
previous bang dissipates before the NEXT bang occurs. If you are also
seeing multiple streamers at this low break rate, your toroid's Radius
of Curvature may be too small. Before changing it, I'd suggest trying
the existing setup with a faster break rate. If you still get multiple
streamers, then increase the ROC (and possibly the outer diameter as
well). 

Best regards,

-- Bert --
-- 
Bert Hickman
Stoneridge Engineering
"Electromagically" (TM) Shrunken Coins!
http://www.teslamania-dot-com 

Tesla List wrote:
> 
> Original poster: "jimmy hynes by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
<chunkyboy86-at-yahoo-dot-com>
> 
> from what i've heard, and according to johns more complicated formula,
> lower break rates are better .i guess i am pushing low break rates to the
> extreme with my coil. it runs at about 10bps with 24nf and a 15/20 ss neon
> sign transformer. my secondary is 2" by 12" and the toroid is 4"x12". the
> longest arc i have gotten is about 8". i am also getting multiple
> streamers. is my toroid too small? or did i just do a bad job making it?
> could low break rates a problem here? should i try a smaller toroid and
> less capacitance? i guess i could have just followed the "recipe for
> success", but that wouldnt be as interesting.
> 
> JImmy