Re: Need help identifying the terminals on my first NST, and how do I test it....

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

Original poster: "Chris Roberts by way of Terry Fritz <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" <quezacotl_14000000000000-at-yahoo-dot-com>

Don't worry about being a little lost, I rember when we got our first NST 
and were looking at it trying to find out how to test it... The two large 
ceramic termanials are the HV ends, labled "Secondary one" (S1) and 
"Secondary two" (S2). The two labled P1 and P2 are primary one and two and 
are the ends which go to the house current. The ground from the NST is fine 
to hook up to the third prong in the socket, just make sure you don't plug 
the bottom of the secondary coil into the third prong ground. That is the 
one that needs to be stuck into the actual soil. As far as testing it, the 
way we did it was to attach a wire from one of the HV ends (S1 or S2) to a 
piece of wood (we used a broomstick). We held the stick and touched the 
wire to the NST case while it was grounded. If you see a spark appear when 
its around a quarter inch away, that end works. Try it with the other side 
a! lso. Have fun!

Tesla list <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com> wrote:
Original poster: "by way of Terry Fritz "

Hello All !

You've all helped me a great deal so far building my first TC. Thanks!

I just received my first NST in the mail. It's a Magnetek Jefferson
Electric Luminous Tube Transformer:

PRI: 120V 60HZ 360VA
SEC: 12,000V 30MA
SEC Midpoint Grounded

It has two terminals in big ceramic cylinders on either side of the box
labeled S1 and S2, and has another smaller terminal on one of the sides
with two electrodes named P1 and P2. There is also a terminal named GRD,
which must be the ground.

My question is, which of these terminals connects to my coil, and which
terminals connect to my power supply? And what do I do with the Ground
terminal? If I connect a three prong plug power cable to this transformer,
do I only want to use the + a! nd -- and leave the ground disconnected? I
know I dont want the TC connected to my house ground, so do I run a nice
thick cable from the ground terminal on the transformer to a spike in the
ground?

Also, how can I test this transformer? I don't have a meter that can check
it, so do I need to do a spark test? If so, how do I do that with killing
myself?

Go easy on me, I know these are very simple questions but I have never
worked with HV power before.

Thanks!
Jack



-Chris