Re: Spark gap

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "Dr. Resonance" <resonance@xxxxxxxxxx>



At this power level, use all 8.  Set total gap around 200 -220 mils.  A
sinple 100
 muffin fan will provide all the air you need (Fair Radio Surplus or C&H
Surplus).


Dr. Resonance
> >All,
> >I was planning on using my leaf blower to push air through my
> >TCBOR/Richard Quick spark gap. Is this too much airflow? I have 8, 1/2
> >(0.5) inch copper pipes inside a 6" diameter piece of PVC. Also, it looks
> >like I can get in one more piece of copper pipe for an even 8 spark gaps.
> >I have been advised to set the total, overall gap to 0.2 inches/8 = 0.025
> >per gap. Of course with the brass bolts sticking out the side of the PVC,
> >I can run any number of gaps I want from 1 to 8. I was also advised that
> >once the spark gap is completed, it is a real BEAR to try to reset the
> >gaps and in fact that once it is set and running well, that I should
> >permanently fix the copper pipe electrodes with epoxy to keep them from
> >migrating and ruining my setup.
> >
> >I also have a shop vac that I can use to suck air through the spark gap.
> >The shop vac doesn't move nearly as much air as the leaf blower. I am
> >using a 15kV 30mA NST. Is this spark gap overkill in the first place or
> >does this sound like a good plan? BTW, 21 inch x 4 inch secondary with
> >1100 turns, 14 turn 0.25 inch copper tubing primary flat, and 3.5 inch x
> >15 inch toroid. Oh yeah, .01 mF primary cap.
> >
> >Finally, if I use the spark gap with 8 gaps, do I start off using all 8
> >gaps? Or, do I start with one and work my way up as I tune and adjust the
coil?
>
> A leaf blower is a bit excessive.  Try a simple muffin fan first.  This
> isn't a blast gap, but the air flow does two things: cool the electrodes
> (doesn't take much flow to do this.. not all that many watts are being
> dissipated); move the sparking points around (again, almost any motion
does
> this).
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