Re: 1st Tesla Coil WONT LIGHT HELP PLEASE!

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

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

NOO, i dunno whats wrong, i emptiesd the caps, refilled them with salt
water,and a layer of motor oil, wrapped in foil, put in foiled pan, and when
i fired the coil, the gap fired, and there was also a REALLY REALLY BRIGHT
AND LOUD spark on one of the terminals of the caps, then after a second it
stopped getting loud and the spark on the caps just stayed there, i
unplugged it. This happened twice, can someone tell me what the -at-!#$ just
happened? how do i fix it, i still only got 1 inch spark max when i touched
a rod to the topload, otherwise no spark! Please help

Ravi
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
To: <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2004 4:47 PM
Subject: Re: 1st Tesla Coil WONT LIGHT HELP PLEASE!


 > Original poster: "Aaron Aab" <striker754-at-earthlink-dot-net>
 >
 > pop bottles are plastic, at least around here
 >
 >
 > ----- Original Message -----
 > From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
 > To: <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
 > Sent: Friday, January 23, 2004 3:50 PM
 > Subject: Re: 1st Tesla Coil WONT LIGHT HELP PLEASE!
 >
 >
 >  > Original poster: "Jim Mitchell" <electrontube-at-sbcglobal-dot-net>
 >  >
 >  > Soda bottles?!? Aluminum?  If so that will not work you need glass
 > bottles.
 >  >
 >  > Regards - Jim Mitchell
 >  > ----- Original Message -----
 >  > From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
 >  > To: <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
 >  > Sent: Friday, January 23, 2004 1:28 PM
 >  > Subject: Re: 1st Tesla Coil WONT LIGHT HELP PLEASE!
 >  >
 >  >
 >  >  > Original poster: "Aaron Aab" <striker754-at-earthlink-dot-net>
 >  >  >
 >  >  > I'm guessing you dont ahve enough capacitance or spark gap is too
big
 > for
 >  >  > the power level.
 >  >  >
 >  >  > I'm not sure how much uF each of those bottles is worth, maybe 0.01?
 >  >  >
 >  >  > Try moving the spark gap closer together, the transformer you have
is
 >  > fairly
 >  >  > small.
 >  >  >
 >  >  > Aaron
 >  >  >
 >  >  > ----- Original Message -----
 >  >  > From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
 >  >  > To: <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
 >  >  > Sent: Friday, January 23, 2004 8:02 AM
 >  >  > Subject: Re: 1st Tesla Coil WONT LIGHT HELP PLEASE!
 >  >  >
 >  >  >
 >  >  >  > 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
 >  >  >  >
 >  >  >  >
 >  >  >  >
 >  >  >
 >  >  >
 >  >
 >  >
 >
 >
 >