Re: Some newbie questions

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

Original poster: Ed Phillips <evp-at-pacbell-dot-net> 

Tesla list wrote:
 >
 > Original poster: Esondrmn-at-aol-dot-com
 >
 > In a message dated 1/6/04 11:58:40 AM Pacific Standard Time,
 > tesla-at-pupman-dot-com writes:
 >
 > >Hey guys!
 > >
 > >Building a coil in my garage, and have a couple questions.
 > >
 > >Can I drill a hole in the pvc pipe and run the 2 ends of the secondary coil
 > >inside the pipe to a lug in the caps and then use a bolt to exit the pipe?
 > >
 > >Does everything needing to be grounded go to the same ground rod? Strike
 > >rod, secondary coil, etc?
 > >
 > >Are there any cheap protection I can use to protect the NST? I don't want
 > >to spend 50 bucks worth of stuff for that one protection circuit. Will a
 > >safety gap, and 2 chokes work well? Chokes are just magnet wire wrapped
 > >about 100 times around a pvc pipe correct?
 > >
 > >Thanks a bunch!
 > >
 > >Aaron
 >
 > Aaron,
 >
 > The conventional wisdom is to not run the secondary wires into the center
 > of the form.  This just makes it easier to flash over inside from top to
 > bottom.  And you usually won't notice this until it has formed carbon
 > tracks in the plastic.
 >
 > I use at least two grounds on my coils.  The variac case and ac line filter
 > go to line ground.  All other grounds go to the ground rod, i.e. bottom of
 > secondary, nst case, strike rail and center electrode of the safety gap.
 >
 > I only use a safety gap and 25 watt 1,000 ohm resistors in series with each
 > H.V. lead for protection and have not had any problems with this.  Do not
 > use chokes as it may cause resonance problems with the nst and do more harm
 > than good.
 >
 > Ed Sonderman


	I agree completely about anything inside the form.  Although I've never
worked with anything bigger than a 15 kV, 60 ma NST I learned early on
that such things as anchoring the secondary windings by threading them
through holes in the form, or attaching them to metallic screws
extending through the form, was almost certain to produce internal
arcing and form damage.  I now usually use nylon screws threaded through
the form and haven't had any trouble with that.

Ed