scopes and measurements

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

Original poster: "Steven Ward by way of Terry Fritz <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" <srward16-at-hotmail-dot-com>

Hi all,

Sorry to be behind the times, but i just got a scope on ebay and was 
looking at some VTTC and spark gap TC waveforms.  I just had a 12" length 
of wire attached to the probe (10X).  I COULDNT BELIEVE IT!  You could 
clearly see the 60hz envelope with the VTTC, and you could see a nearly 
perfect sine wave inside of the envelope.  The waves looked much like a 
sine, but the peaks were pointed a bit more, and there was a green glow 
inbetween the parabolas themselves.  Im not sure what to make of that, 
perhaps interference?  It looked like someone shaded in the region between 
the X-axis and the wave itself, if this helps convey my idea.  Then i 
walked near the coil, and wow!  the frequency changed right before my eyes!
Putting my hand in front of the probe would distort the waves and make them 
look wobbly.  As if i wasnt amazed by that, i took a peak at what the mini 
coil looked like.  On a small gap setting with out breakout, it looked like 
a large hump then a second smaller hump that slowly decayed across the 
screen.  Is this "second notch" quenching?  Then i opened the gap a bit.
Now there was a bigger hump, then a medium, then a smaller one that 
decayed.  Would this be 3rd notch (this is basically why im writing all of 
this).  I never understood this 'notch' thing when it came to quenching, 
but i think im starting to see it:)  Ok, but inside these humps, it was a 
bit confusing.  IT looked like at least one or 2 large sine waves with a 
very small wave in the middle, and then another medium wave(though it did 
often bounce between the first and the second scenarios i described).  The 
2 large waves made humps noticeable, but the meduim and small wave were 
almost continuously decaying (looked linear) the entire time(exept where 
the humps ended inbetween one another).  Im wondering if pehaps each of 
these waves i saw was representing something?  Is it possible that my probe 
was picking up a current reading as well?  I though that the current rose 
as the voltage fell toward the end of each bang?  I did not see this.  So i 
guess i was not picking up current.  But i cant help but wonder why i saw 
so many different waves in there!

Wow, what a day:)  Technology is fun... even if it was made some 10years 
ago(the scope that is), lol.

Steve Ward.