Re: dynamic power changing on TC

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

Original poster: "Black Moon by way of Terry Fritz <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" <black_moons-at-hotmail-dot-com>

you have to realise if its design to make sound, the spark gap is gonna be 
so noisy as to make the output not worth lissioning to :P

>From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
>To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
>Subject: dynamic power changing on TC
>Date: Mon, 13 Jan 2003 11:12:56 -0700
>
>Original poster: "Jim Lux by way of Terry Fritz <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" 
><jimlux-at-earthlink-dot-net>
>
>Any ideas on how to implement a rapid response (10s of milliseconds) 
>"volume control" for a spark gap type tesla coil (at constant break rate)? 
>(It's fairly straightforward for a VTTC...essentially a high power AM 
>modulator)
>
>Some ideas:
>
>Adjust the voltage being fed to the primary which would change the "bang 
>energy". Assuming you're using a triggered spark gap, what sort of voltage 
>range can work... Easily 2:1, but can you get more?  Those of you running 
>triggered gaps, what interaction have you noticed when running the variac 
>up and down?  With resonant charging, this is tantamount to a power 
>amplifier with multi kilovolt output, but at least it's in steps.
>
>Adjust the tuning of the coil, for which I can think of at least two ways 
>to do it:
>
>Multiple primary taps with separate triggered gaps connecting them to the 
>primary capacitor.  You would fire the "optimum" gap to get the most 
>energy, and one of the "non-optimum" gaps to reduce the output voltage 
>(because the fres of the Pri and Secondary would be farther apart, and 
>you'd reduce output power), even though the primary cap energy remains the same
>
>Some sort of "off axis" inductor or capacitor switching scheme with some 
>suitable switch device (which doesn't have to respond at RF, just pass RF...)