Racing arcs

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

Original poster: "J. B. Weazle McCreath by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <weazle-at-hurontel.on.ca>


Hello Coilers,

I decided to add some series resistance in the H.V. lead at the PDT as a
small measure of protection for it, along with the horn style safety gap
that I'd been using all along.  It's four 500 ohm, 50 watt, resistors in
parallel, the same ones that I'd used in a "Terry Filter" when running
my coil from OBITs and NSTs.  They are mounted on an insulating board
right at the PDT's H.V. bushing.

Since adding it, I've developed some racing arcs along the secondary that
have me puzzled.  Normally they are a sign of over coupling, but I've had
the present primary/secondary coupling configuation for months and it has
been working fine for me.  I can easily change the coupling, but I can't 
help but wonder why adding the protection resistor would have caused such
a problem.

Any and all comments or suggestions are welcome.


73, Weazle, VE3EAR/VE3WZL
G-1#1214

Listening: 147.030+ and 442.075+
E-mail:    weazle-at-hurontel.on.ca
           or ve3ear-at-rac.ca
Web site:  http://www.hurontel.on.ca/~weazle