Re: don't know what i did wrong

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

Original poster: Sean Taylor <sstaylor-at-uiuc.edu> 

On Wed, 05 May 2004 08:29:02 -0600, Tesla list <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com> wrote:

>Original poster: "Crow Leader" <tesla-at-lists.symmetric-dot-net> Hello,
>
>It sounds like there are two possible problem.
>
>1) your primary wiring is not quite right. The loud sparks (probably bright
>blue) mean your transformer, spark  gap and capacitor are probably OK. To
>test the wiring, disconnect the primary coil. If you don't get any sparks in
>the spark gap, your wiring is probably OK.

Depending on how your primary is hooked up, you may get the normal yellow 
arc between the spark gap.  If you have the gap across transformer, this 
should happen.  If you have the cap across the transformer, you should get 
nothing in the spark gap if the primary is disconnected.


>2) The tuning is off. You should still be able to draw some really really
>wimpy sparks off the secondary coil with a grounded screwdriver or 
>something like that. Tuning is a something you need to play with by 
>adjusting the taps
>on your primary coil. An adjustment as small as a 1/4 turn on the primary
>can make a huge difference when things are working. You may even need to
>adjust this tuning on different days.

I would guess this is the problem - keep your gap relatively small (are you 
running at mains resonance with the tank cap, or LTR, or what?) so you 
don't damage your transformer, and change the tap point (as many others 
have suggested).  Once you have found the maximum spark using a breakout 
point, increase the spark gap spacing.

Sean Taylor
Urbana, IL