Re: Poor Performance Question

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

Original poster: "EMMETT SECREST" <secrest2032-at-msn-dot-com> 

Thanks to all who have responded to my question.  It is obvious now that my 
problem was first off the wind which was rather strong and secondly my 
choice of ground rod which was steel pipe and not copper.  I was in a hurry 
to get the coil transported and to show it off for the first time and in my 
haste made a poor choice for a ground rod.  The coil had been working quite 
well for almost a year so I don't think there was a coupling issue that 
caused the racing sparks on the secondary. From the info offered by the 
list I feel it was the poor ground along with possible humidy issues. Once 
again, hats off to the list for their eagerness to help those of us new to 
coiling and less technically adept.

thanks,

Emmett

>From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
>To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
>Subject: Re: Poor Performance Question
>Date: Tue, 02 Nov 2004 08:14:07 -0700
>
>Original poster: "Dr. Resonance" <resonance-at-jvlnet-dot-com>
>
>
>Your choice of steel over copper is not good.  RF currents like copper not
>steel or alum.
>
>What is the dia. of your sec coil?   And, most critical, how high is the
>bottom turn of the sec coil elevated above the horizontal plane of the
>primary coil?
>
>Dr. Resonance
>
> >
> > Over the weekend I took my spark gap TC outside for the first time. I was
> > disappointed in the performance and am hoping someone on the list could
> > offer some suggestions as to the cause of the less than previous output of
> > my coil. Always before it produced multiple three to four foot streamers
> > but when I set it up outside it produce 12 to 18" streamers and would have
> > racing sparks down the secondary. I tried playing with the tuning but it
> > did not help. I am of the opinion that the poor output and racing was due
> > to a poor ground and windy conditions. I had driven a .5" galvanized pipe
> > into the ground about a foot deep and connected to it via a set of
> > automotive jumper cables.  All previous runs of the coil have been inside
> > and connected to a copper ground rod six feet into the earth and connected
> > with six feet of no. 4 copper. Any theories, suggestions, etc. are
>appreciated.
> >
> > Emmett
> >
> >
> >
> >
>