Re: Safety of Running Coil in Garage

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Original poster: "Mark W. Stolz by way of Terry Fritz <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" <mark_w_stolz-at-hotmail-dot-com>

Alan,

No problem running you coil in the garage.  I run my coil of the same size 
there all the time without problem.  That being said, there are some things 
to watch out for.  You mentioned the garage door opener.  Make sure it is 
at least unplugged before running.  I have had strikes to the drive track 
have activated the opener.  :-)  It's also recommended by some that you 
shield the antenna and control circuit box with some chicken wire.

Our computer is about 20' from where I run the coil and we have had no 
problems other than the modem disconnecting.  The only other effects that 
I've seen around the house is that our cordless phone sometimes rings and 
our halogen floor lamp will flicker.  I'm told by a friend and fellow 
coiler that the lamp problem is caused by RF getting into the diac in the 
dimmer control.

In regards to the length of sparks, my 15/60 coil produces about 36" of 
spark.  Some coils produce more, like Gary Lau's, and some produce less.

Mark Stolz
Houston, TX
http://teslacoils4christ-dot-org


>Original poster: "Alan by way of Terry Fritz <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" 
><centauri010-at-attbi-dot-com>
>
>Hey,
>
>I've finished my first coil and the sparks are adequate at best. I would 
>like to experiment with it more, but currently I can only do it at night 
>because I can't see the sparks during the day. I would like to run it in 
>my garage but am worried about damaging the electronics in the house. What 
>can I do to be safe in the garage or should I just not run it there? There 
>is a garage door unit and a light close to where it would be running. 
>Also, the family computer is directly behind the garage wall. So, there's 
>not much physical distance between it and the coil(about 10-15ft). My 
>second question is: how big should the sparks be from a coil powered by 2 
>15kv/30ma transformers(15kv/60ma total)?
>There are 11 primary turns, about 1400 secondary turns if i remember on a 
>4.25" x 23" pvc secondary with 27awg wire with a .03 uf 35kv maxwell cap.
>
>Thanks,
>Alan