Re: TC strike length

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

Original poster: "Jim Lux by way of Terry Fritz <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" <jimlux-at-earthlink-dot-net>


So the actual gap consists of a series of 1" gaps and 1/2" nail segments, 
all strung together in series?

Interesting.. I can see how it would give repeatable results, but not 
directly comparable to any other way of measuring sparks, particularly if 
you wanted to assess things like multibang channel growth (in that the 
cooling and ion diffusion effects would be different..)  However, the 
repeatability would be very useful.... You could even run the big 40 foot 
long gap in a (fairly large) tube (think of a the stuff they make plastic 
bags for newspapers, etc. out of... it's blown in a continous tube, then 
heat sealed and perfed before being wound on a spool.

The tube is available for advertising displays (you stick it on the front 
of a fan, and it waves in the air)..  various diameters are available.  I 
used to use hundreds of feet of the stuff that's about 18" in diameter 
(when circular).

It would be a simple matter to experiment with other gases too.. (CO2, 
Nitrogen, Argon, He, all spring to mind)



At 06:13 PM 7/1/2003 -0600, you wrote:
>Original poster: "Dr. Resonance by way of Terry Fritz 
><teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" <resonance-at-jvlnet-dot-com>
>
>
>A true strike length can quickly and easily be determined with Bob 
>Svangren's special subdivided multiple sparkgap for sec. coils.  Perhaps 
>Terry has this in the archives --- it was published in an earlier issue of 
>TCBA.  Essentially it was a long series of wooden dowels hanging from a 
>plastic fishline.  Each down has a 1 inch long finishing nail (head cut 
>off) spaced at 1 inch intervals.  We use a short 10 ft. unit for measuring 
>our small and med coils, and a 40 foot long version for measuring our 
>larger coils.  The dowels are glued in place to provide a 1 inch spark gap 
>for each nail head.  We used dowels 1.5 inches long.  Approx 200 nails on 
>our large unit.
>
>This system produces accuracy down to 1 inch.  This length, of course, 
>says nothing about the actual output potential of a TC but will give 
>results consistent when working with a coil at a particular power 
>level.  Output potential is easily determined from the standard equation 
>and k = 80% is a useful value.  Output potential may be measured with the 
>single pulse method I've previously described.  Terry Fritz's antenna 
>system also provides very accurate method of potential measurement.
>
>
>Dr. Resonance
>
>Resonance Research Corporation
>E11870 Shadylane Rd.
>Baraboo   WI   53913