Re: New coil not working...

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

Original poster: "Jim Lux" <jimlux-at-earthlink-dot-net> 


----- Original Message -----
From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
To: <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2004 8:37 PM
Subject: New coil not working...


 > Original poster: "Greg McCoy" <gemccoy-at-nbnet.nb.ca>
 >
 > Well I just made a brand new tesla coil, plugged it in and it doesn't
workl
 > I get nice blue sparks at the spark gaps and a fairly loud electricity
 > noise, but no discharge. First off I would ask for any trouble shooting
 > sites in general that might help?
 >
 > Now for the specifics: I used the wiring shown on this page:
 > http://www.deepfriedneon-dot-com/tesla_frame10.html except that instead of
 > grounding one end of the secondary circuit (as I have not yet constructed
an
 > adequate gorund) I bent it up near the toroid.
 >
 > I have
 > -a 9KV 30 mA transformer
 > -6 beer bottle leyden caps in a series with a close-to-saturated NaCl(aq)
 > solution inside and metal duct tape outside and a layer of oil ranging
from
 > 1/2 - 1 1/2 thick with a brass rod sticking into the solution

Oops... you want those beer bottles in parallel!  Try changing that first.

 > -a primary coil of three braided enamelled copper magnet wires of #16 gage
 > in 10 flat spiderweb coils about 1/4" apart with an inside diametr of 4"
and
 > an outside diameter of I think 12"



 > -a secondary coil of ~1000 turns #24 gage enamelled copper magnet wire
 > sitting in the centre of the primary coil about 3"- 4" above it
 > -3 spark gaps in a series each of two small brass "L" brakets facing like
 > this: "_| |_" one of which has an adjustable screw


 > -a toroidal discharge terminal of bendable heating duct (ends held
together
 > by a small piece of wood inside screwed into each end around two aluminium
 > pie plates with theri bottoms together.
Should be fine.
 > -a currently ungrounded strike rail of ~#18 gage soft iron wire
 >
 > Now I know a host of things could be wrong, and I haven't had time to play
 > with things such as the number of capacitors, the distance of the S.G.
 > screws or the height of the secondary coil above the primary, but this
 > project is due on Monday, and I wanted to present this to you to give you
 > ample time to respond before then, in the case that all I know amounts to
 > nothing. ;) So if anything I am doing jumps out at you as being wrong,
 > please tell me.