Re: grounding

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

Original poster: Esondrmn-at-aol-dot-com 

In a message dated 12/26/03 2:30:45 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
tesla-at-pupman-dot-com writes:


>I bought plans, and it says to connect everything, both primary and
>secondary circuits, to the same ground lug. And just now I looked up
>schematics from some random site, and it says to have two grounds, as well
>as telling specifically not to have a uniform ground. Whats right here? or
>are they both right? I understand some people have different ways they
>build their coil, but it seems like this is kinda something important.
>Thanks in advance for clearing this subject up.


Bob,

Some folks with low power coils use the third prong (AC house wiring 
ground) as the ground for their coils, for transformer case, safety gap 
center electrode and bottom of secondary and have no problems.  When you 
scale up the power is when problems begin.  You don't want to conduct a lot 
of RF energy back into the house wiring ground as it may cause problems 
with sensitive electronic equipment such as dishwashers, televisions, 
garage door openers, etc.

I have a three inch coil that uses a 15 kv 60 ma transformer.  I use line 
ground only for the case of the variac.  All of the other grounds are 
connected to a dedicated RF ground system that is driven into the dirt just 
outside the basement window.

I have a larger coil that only runs outside that uses a 7kva 14.4 kv 
transformer.  I have one RF ground system that is used for the secondary 
base ground, strike ring and safety gap ground.  All other grounds go to a 
smaller, separate, RF ground.  The house ground is not used at all with 
this coil.

You will get lots of opinions about this.

Ed Sonderman