RE: Requiem for a Piglet: I am a murderer

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

Original poster: "Dave Hartwick by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <ddhartwick-at-earthlink-dot-net>

Terry,
I'm sorry...I'm a blubbering wreck, and then your compassionate missive. I
don't know that I can take all of this love!

I ran fairly extensive tests. She was disconnected from the system, no CP
caps to render the test environment impure.

I fed this piggie with all manner of permutations: MOT current limiters, no
MOTs--straight from the variac, measuring 240 service voltage at every
conceivable point.

With no load on the piglet's secondary, the variac started to growl as
though there were a heavy load. It's not the variac. I get nothing from
piggie secondary. Nothing.

My coiling knowledge stinks but my basic electronics skills are good. I
could not elicit a microvolt from this poor lady.

I'm not one to dwell, but I am bummed--I can't believe it! lol The post
mortum will be continued tomorrow.
Dave




Original poster: "Terry Fritz" <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>

Hi Dave,

Slow down here....

1.4 ohms measured with just a hand held meter may be perfectly normal!!
That little 9V battery is not going to magnetize that big iron core in the
there worth a darn.  The primary "resistance" is mostly "reactive
inductance" that your little meter can't see.  200 feet of like 10 gauge
wire is not going to have much DC resistance!

So don't go draining oil and lifting cores just yet!!

Here is what I would do.  Disconnect the output terminals of Ariel from
"everything", just two unconnected horns.  Then get a BIG high wattage
light bulb, space heater or hair dryer and run it in "series" with each of
the two legs off the center tap.  If it is shorted, the appliances will run
fine.  If not, you will only be able to get about 0.25 amps though each of
the 120VAC legs of the primary windings.  Basically, you need to run about
10 amps of 60Hz AC through the thing to get a "good" reading where the
cores get good magnetization currents.  The fact that the legs all read the
same now is a giveaway that it is not shorted.

Is the secondary shorted?  If so, the above test will fail on both legs.
1K on a pig's secondary seems pretty normal for pure DC wire loss.  Again,
the "AC" reactance is the key.  A "little" streamer back flash is nothing
compared to the lightning strikes these babies are meant to survive.  If
you got this pig from anyplace with a reputation, they probably pulse
tested it to levels that make a Tesla coil look trivial.  Pigs just don't
die...  Gomez killed his after running it a few years "without oil" at like
10kVA...  Streamer strikes just don't have enough energy to do much
damage...  Murder?  I ain't even sure there is a body yet...  Start testing
"everything"...

Of course, something probably "is" broken...  Try running a big high
wattage heater, or what ever, off Jennifer and check the wiper and her
contact windings for a "bad spot".  If found, sand and grind the heck out
of it and go on...  You really need to test each part out well and be
"sure" that you have a dead part before getting too excited.

My guess is...  "Condenser Products 0.05 ufd caps"...  If you got blown
caps...

Cheers,

	Terry



At 11:22 PM 9/7/2002 -0400, you wrote:
>Brothers,
>
>I admit it: I thought I was better than those peasants who insist on using
>such a trifles as a strike rail. I thought I was well protected. Tonight I
>spent considerable time rearranging the lab for greater spark length. I
paid
>much attention to safety and grounds and all manner of coiling imperatives.
>
>I wasn't worried about a strike rail because I had my safety gap well in
>hand, and I thought piggies were indestructible; but this is not the
>case--for tonight I killed my Ariel.
>
>My Ariel. She is my piglet, and I killed her.
>
>
>Oh sure, amidst the tears, as part of the loving post mortem, I measured
her
>primary resistance.
>1.4 ohms across all 3 fetching terminals--much of it probably the aloof
>probe wire. She then begged me for attention to her secondary. About 1 K, I
>measured after gaining some control of the racking sobs. We wept together.
>She appreciated my sensitivity. Jennifer, my tender Variac, shuddered as I
>asked her to attempt defribrilation. Ariel would not allow the death of
>another.
>
>She told me that the data are correct. Even in death, her stoicism.....
Dead
>short in her primary. Cancer. Probably terminal. I am not worthy of you,
>Ariel.
>
>
>On the 'Morrow I shall lift her crinolines and violate my love, but with
all
>the respect  of which I am capable. I will plunge my warm hands into her
>moistness and perform exploratory surgery. She suggests a siphon to empty
>her love oils. I told her I will proceed with care, but I fear that I am
not
>worthy. She told me  she still loves me, and I wept once again.
>
>Forgive me Ariel! I will do my best to save you my darling. Should
>revivification obtain, I will effect the construction of a strike rail of
>such felicity that we will weep together again in  production of sacred
>resonant discharge. We've shared that many times--You are my soldier.
>
>I will not forsake thee, sweet love.
>
>With  humility,
>Dave Hartwick
>
>
>
>