Re: First light for my first coil today !

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

Original poster: "claude masetto" <claudmas-at-optusnet-dot-com.au> 

Hi Ian,
Good one. Sounds like your coil has some great potential. Let me know when
you have your toroid done and I will bring over my vacuum gap. I'm currently
working on a new control pannel wich will have a 0-50A ammeter incorporated
into it.

Claude.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
To: <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Sent: Saturday, January 31, 2004 2:04 AM
Subject: First light for my first coil today !


 > Original poster: "Ian McLean" <ianmm-at-optusnet-dot-com.au>
 >
 > Hi all,
 >
 > First light for my first coil, whoa hoa !!!!
 >
 > Specs:
 >
 > 6x32" secondary, 1163 turns of 0.63mm enamelled copper. Fres ~= 144kHz.
 > 11.5 turns 0.25" Cu pipe pancake primary. 0.5" spacing.
 > 15kV 120mA (2 x 15/60 NST's) Power Supply.  Protection gap and RC filter.
 > MMC is 1 to 5 strings of 12 CDE 942C20P15K 0.15uF 2000V caps.  Adjustable
 > for  12.5nF, 25nF, 37.5nF, 50nF, or 62.5nF.
 > Coupling is adjustable, but currently set at: Primary level with first
 > winding of secondary.
 >
 > Lash up:
 >
 > I had to lash together a few things that were not finished to get a first
 > light, I just couldn't wait to do a test !
 >
 > No proper RF ground yet - I have the copper clad grounding rods, just have
 > to pound them in 6 feet.  Just used an overhead metal beam in my workshop
 > for RF ground for the first test.
 >
 > No proper toroid yet - I still have to get the ducting.  For now, using a
2
 > 1/2 inch diameter foam "noodle" (those swimming floaty things), that I
found
 > in my parents garage, rolled into a toroid about 20 inches in diameter,
 > taped, and covered with aluminium foil - pretty dodgy I know.  Resting
about
 > 3 inches above top of secondary form with a wooden plank.  Even dodgier, I
 > know ;)
 >
 > No proper static gap yet (going to build a sucker once I get a vaccuum
 > motor) - and I haven't tried (not game to) my tungsten SRSG yet.  For
first
 > light, I just slapped together a 5 segment 3 inch long copper pipe gap
with
 > two 12V muffin fans blowing on it, basically a very quick and nasty RQ
gap.
 >
 > Did not tune the system either (no point really until I get the proper
 > toroid and sucker gap together) - just used the JavaTC calculation of 8.5
 > turns for an LTR cap of 37.5nF for a static gap.  I have 62.5nF at my
 > disposal, but that is about LTR for the SRSG.
 >
 > Results:
 >
 > With all the dodginess above, I didn't expect much - BUT ...
 >
 > At first power, I got streamers from about 1/2 power input onwards, and I
 > was getting 3 foot streamers at about 3/4 power input (i can hardly
believe
 > it, but it's true :-) !!!! ), to the nearest metal object - a table vice
 > sitting on my workshop table, and to the hanging RF ground wire (as I
said,
 > tied to a beam overhead), and lots of 1 or so inch surface crackly
streamers
 > all over the toroid.  The streamers are not very thick yet, quite thin and
 > wispy.  No arc overs, flash overs, corona, or racing sparks were noted
(good
 > thing).  I was surprised at the hits to the RF ground wire, as this is
 > GTO-15 cable.  Oh well, I guess that insulation cannot even begin to hold
 > off TC voltages !!  The gap is VERY loud and VERY bright - sounds like a
 > machine gun on full-auto.  I turned the power up a bit further, which
 > triggered the safety gap.  End of first light test.  Did one more quick
 > power up to show my parents (I currently live with my parents, and they
were
 > curious after I came in with a smug look on my face saying "It's working,
 > it's working!").  They were suitably impressed (mostly with the noise I
 > think).
 >
 > Pretty pleased with that result :)  Once everything is properly completed
 > and the system tuned, I am expecting pretty good things from this coil :)
 >
 > More testing tommorrow ;)
 >
 > Sorry for the long post everyone, I am just so excited about today's
success
 > :)
 >
 > Rgs
 > Ian
 >
 >