Ballast choke

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

Original poster: "J. B. Weazle McCreath" <weazle-at-hurontel.on.ca> 


Hello Coilers,

I was given a large inductor the other day that has three taps
of 15, 20, and 37 mH. (measured with LCR-55).  It's quite old,
and is wound with a square wire of 1/8" cross section onto a
wound core of thin metal with a cross section of about five
square inches within the windings.

A chart from the list that I saved several years ago indicates
that with 120 Volts applied, it would limit the current at 9,
16, and 21 amps, depending on the tap used.  Does this sound
about right, and would it be OK for use as a ballast, even
though the core isn't, and can't easily be, gapped?

73, Weazle, VE3EAR/VE3WZL

Details of my "Hyperbaric Gap" and Tesla coil are at:
http://www.hurontel.on.ca/~weazle