Re: Best cap size for a sync gap

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

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

In a message dated 4/29/04 11:18:50 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
tesla-at-pupman-dot-com writes:

>Has anyone else performed such an experiment?  Just trying to understand
>why my result is so at odds with the widely suggested value of .028uF for
>the same power supply.  Hmmm, wonder what I'd have gotten if I had tested
>at 120VAC?
>
>Regards, Gary Lau
>MA, USA
>
>


Gary,

Interesting results.  It would be interesting to do the same type
of experiment using other NST's.  I suspect that various NST's can
behave very differently than others.  I've seen the need for widely
varying phase settings for different NST's.  Some give their max
output when firing at the peak voltage.  Others give their utmost
when firing after the peak as you mentioned.  If the NST you used
is the one that you usually use (the one you re-potted), it may
happen to be a robust NST.  Results at 140V tends to be somewhat
different in nature than at 120V, but I don't have good records
of what I did in that area.  In any case I think the ideas about
"2.8 x the resonant value", etc. are just guides.  What's really
best will depend on the particular NST I think.  I've found
that NST's vary widely in their characteristics across brands,
and across voltage/current ratings.  Some NST's are also more
prone to problems of running in the notorious voltage reversal
mode.

John