RE: more newbie questions

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

Original poster: "Mccauley, Daniel H by way of Terry Fritz <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" <daniel.h.mccauley-at-lmco-dot-com>


4kV is MORE than enough to build a very nice tesla coil.
Also, for a tesla coil operating at 4kV and say up to 50mA output current,
connecting the secondary rf ground
to house ground is PERFECTLY acceptable and noise is very minimum.

Dan






Matt:  Your voltage is very low,4Kv, but it should work. Connecting your
coil to Power ground of your house is NOT recomended as this can carry high
voltage sparks all through your house,( TV, computer, sterio,) a water pipe
is good and a pipe driven into the ground is even better. I construct
capacitors out of aluminum flashing and 12 layers of 4 mill. polyethelene in
oil. For your first coil I do not suggest this. The Geek group beer bot salt
water capacitors are a good project of low cost and size made in a 5 gal
poly bucket. I use my poly capacitors to handle the high power, but with
your low voltage the trouble is not worth the cost.
     Robert  H
-- 


  > From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
  > Date: Sun, 05 Jan 2003 22:07:18 -0700
  > To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
  > Subject: Re: more newbie questions
  > Resent-From: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
  > Resent-Date: Sun, 5 Jan 2003 22:09:15 -0700
  >
  > Original poster: "Matt by way of Terry Fritz <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>"
  > <pickle7-at-surfbest-dot-net>
  >
  > I'm trying to figure out this tesla stuff too, and I decided to jump in
and
  > start making a secondary coil, since its one of the most time consuming
  > parts and i had pvc lying around (from the making of my potato
gun...heh).
  > I used the mini coil here -
http://www.spacecatlighting-dot-com/teslacoil4.htm
  > - as a starting point. I'm using a 2" pvc pipe with 30 gauge wire. It
looks
  > pretty considering I've never done this before, but I didn't get quite
wire
  > enough to finish. Whats the best way to add on more wire? I don't expect
my
  > coil to be high quality, I'm just experimentationalizing. And about these
  > salt water capacitors, how would I go about making one? I saw
instructions
  > on how to make a cap with sheets of aluminum and polystyrene (or some
  > poly-type-ish material like that). Whats the best way to make one? And
one
  > more thing - schematics ive seen say that certain parts need to be
  > grounded. My understanding of having something grounded is that they need
  > to be connected to a pipe or something that goes underground to disipate
  > electricity. But, in the pictures on the previously noted site, the coil
is
  > operating in the living room or something. Are the grounds connected to
the
  > ground in the wall socket? Some advice would be nice. And sorry for my
  > gross lack of knowlage about this stuff.
  >
  >
  > []
  >
  > Matt Marsh
  > pickle7-at-surfbest-dot-net
  > AIM - SquishyPickle
  > ICQ - 161231703
  > -------Original Message-------
  >
  > From: Tesla list
  > Date: Saturday, January 04, 2003 10:18:55 AM
  > To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
  > Subject: Re: more newbie questions
  >
  > Original poster: "marc metlicka by way of Terry Fritz
  > <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" <mystuffs-at-orwell-dot-net>
  >
  > James,
  > My very first capacitors were made from gallon pickle jars. I used
  > aluminium tape on the outside rubbed very smooth, then salt water filled
  > to the tape line on the inside. I put a little oil on the salt water and
  > used 1\2" copper t's with one pipe extending into the salt. Each jug
  > gave around 5nf so i ganged 5 or 7 together, (placed on aluminium foil
  > for connection) to power nst powered coils. I once ganged 11 of them
  > together with a very fancy copper tubing array, this gave me a nice
  > ..06uf that stood up to a 300-1 pt at full power.
  >
  > these are very nice starter caps so I say "go for it" (I tried to upload
  > pics of them on my site
  > "http://www.fortunecity-dot-com/meltingpot/syria/1210/index.htm
  > But it's down right now?
  > Take care,"back again" Marc M.
  >
  >>
  >>> I was wandering if I could make a capacitor using 1 gallon glass pickle
  >>> jars. Since my wife is pregnant, I have a lot of them laying around and
I
  >>> have been trying to find a use for them. If I can use them, how do you
  >>> figure out the capacitance?
  >>>
  >>
  >
  >