Re: 1st Tesla Coil WONT LIGHT HELP PLEASE!

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

Original poster: "Nightmare" <nightmare-at-bak.rr-dot-com> 

im using 6 glass 12 ounce beer bottles, the gap fires, but no sparks, only
when i touch a rod to the toroid, i get like a 1 inch spark max

Ravi
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
To: <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2004 10:47 PM
Subject: Re: 1st Tesla Coil WONT LIGHT HELP PLEASE!


 > Original poster: "Harold Weiss" <hweiss-at-new.rr-dot-com>
 >
 > Hi Ravi,
 >
 > Sounds like the caps are bad.  Did you use plastic or glass?  If plastic,
 > they have shorted out.  Try clear beer bottles, or a 1 gallon glass apple
 > cider jug.  A jug is good for about 2700-3000pF and can handle a 15KV
 > transformer, so it can easily handle your transformer.  Your gap should be
 > open no more than about 1/8" max.(guesstimate)  The transformer humming is
a
 > good sign.  A shorted cap will make the tranny hum with no spark in the
gap.
 > I learned that well when I left the shorting lead on my caps when I had
 > first light on my first coil.
 >
 > David E Weiss
 >
 >  > Original poster: "Nightmare" <nightmare-at-bak.rr-dot-com>
 >  >
 >  >
 >  >
 >  > Hi, this is ravi, i just made my first TC and it wont light, i wired
 >  > everything up right but it still wont light! It was grounded and
 >  > everything. I plug it in and nothing happens. I tested the transformer
by
 >  > plugging it in and the terminals arc to each other like a jacobs ladder
 > and
 >  > it works, but nothing happens when i plug it in! All i hear is the
humming
 >  > of the transformer Please help. I  ve experimented and done all i can .
I
 >  > need this done by next Friday for science fair so please help. The
spark
 >  > gap doesnt fire either, ive tried 2 different transformers and the same
 >  > thing. Please email me off group for picctures since it doesnt support
 >  > attatchments. Here are my coil specs:
 >  > Secondary: 22inx3in 18in windings
 >  > Primary: ~7-8 turns of 1/4in copper tubing with various adjusted taps
with
 >  > clip.
 >  > Caps: 4 soda bottles covered in foil wrapped in elec. tape. filled with
 >  > salt water. all connected with ring terminals
 >  > Spark gap: 2 1.25in dia copper pipes 3.25in long
 >  > Transformer: 1st is 7.5kV 30mA 60Hz 2nd one i tried is 4.0-4.5kV 30mA
 > 50/60Hz
 >  > Toroid, 3in air cond duct with 2 pie plates like this >--< in center to
 >  > hold in place 9 in inner dia 15 in outer dia.
 >  > Everything is conected with ring terminals and 600V hardware wire, and
 >  > gator clips for primary.
 >  > I used the schematics on deepfriedneon-dot-com exept with diff. gap and
bottle
 >  > caps instead of MMC's. Please help me I've done all i can. Again, if
you
 >  > need pics please email me seperately and i will send them. Thank A
LOT!!!!
 >  >
 >  >
 >  > A desperate 8th Grader,
 >  >
 >  > Ravi
 >  >
 >  >
 >  >   Thanks A LOT for the help.            Thanks A LOT again
 >  >
 >  > Ravi
 >  >
 >  >
 >  >
 >  >
 >
 >
 >