Re: NST power rating con

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

Original poster: Mddeming-at-aol-dot-com 

In a message dated 10/2/03 9:16:02 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
tesla-at-pupman-dot-com writes:

Why is this con(fidence trick) by NST manufacturers not mentioned on any
Tesla coil design web sites (that I've seen)?

It's almost as bad as the *peak music power* con used by cheap audio gear
manufacturers.

Hi Tom,

     The reason for the "trick" is the shocking fact that NST manufacturers 
are not designing their units for the benefit of the TC market. ;-) Most of 
my NSTs have a primary-side VA rating, which is a design-load value for 
knowing how to fuse the circuit that the NEON SIGN is on. Secondly, there 
is a secondary peak-voltage rating which is useful to the SIGN MAKERS 
because the peak is what determines how long a tube can be started by the 
transformer. Then there is the secondary peak-current rating which 
determines how brightly the tube will be lit after it starts. Nowhere do 
they specify an output VA rating. Evidentially, maximum continuous output 
power to a resonant transformer circuit is NOT a major concern of NEON SIGN 
makers. Fortunately or unfortunately, They are the market for which the 
transformers are made and for whom the specs on the plate are published.
      I believe that the last person to design and build power transformers 
specifically for TC use was Nikola Tesla himself.

Hope this gives some insight into the why of it.

Matt D.