Primary to primary sparking?

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

Original poster: Chris Roberts <quezacotl_14000000000000-at-yahoo-dot-com> 


Hi everyone,

I just got the coil out to do some pictures, along with trying it out 
without a breakout point at the top. It seems to not like that, seeing as 
it had plenty of racing sparks, primary to secondary flashovers, and other 
problems. I guess it is a result of a higher breakout voltage? Anyways, 
during one of these pictures, the coil flashed brightly with a huge mean 
sounding spark. I shut it down and took a look. The spark seemed to occur 
between the primary tap and the next outside winding, seeing as that's 
where the scorch marks are. So why would the coil want to do that? 
Shouldn't the tap and the primary be at the same polarity? Even if they 
were, wouldn't it be easier to have the current go around one more turn 
instead of blasting through the air? Whenever I fix this thing from 
sparking in one spot it starts in another... except for all off the top. Is 
that so hard for it to do? Oh well, it at least made the ! photo look that 
much better! =D

<http://hot-streamer-dot-com/temp/P1010077.JPG>http://hot-streamer-dot-com/temp/P1010077.JPG


-Chris