Re: capacitance of homemade caps

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "Steven Steele" <sbsteele@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>

I've tried using  function generator and an o-scope. the function generator 
doesn't have enough voltage to charge the caps.
Don't worry, I won't plug it into the wall. ;)
I think I'll just wrap the wire aroudn the pipe. :)
Thanks.

    Steven Steele
----- Original Message ----- From: "Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, April 07, 2005 12:04 AM
Subject: Re: capacitance of homemade caps


> Original poster: Terry Fritz <teslalist@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
> Hi Steve,
>
> One "can" measure capacitance and inductance with just a scope.  But it is 
> not at all simple.  You pulse it and watch to see how fast it discharges 
> across a resistor.  I don't think it is worth trying unless you have 
> someone there that knows the technique well...  Best to look around for 
> someone that has a meter that just "tells" you such things...  Needs a 
> signal generator and some good knowledge of impedances...  It is just too 
> messy for a first time scope user...
>
> You have mentioned 833Hz which seems way way too low...  Maybe like 
> 83300Hz...  MMCs are real easy since it is just printed on the side of the 
> cap ;-)))  Might double check the time and voltage scales on the scope...
>
> Don't ground your coil to the AC wall plug!!  That ground is great for 
> 60Hz stuff, but terrible at say 83kHz!!!  you might fry everything on the 
> circuit.  Ground the coil to a little ground rod which is like 1000X 
> better!!  cold water pipe or copper drain pipes are great too.  Higher 
> frequencies just don't like to travel in the normal household grounding 
> that was never made for such high frequencies.
>
> There are some folks that "flush" some bare wire down the toilet to get to 
> the sewer pipes which are very well grounded...  Sort of "extreme", but 
> "electrically" sound ;-))  Might not be good at the top floor of a tall 
> building ;-))
>
> Cheers,
>
>         Terry
>
>
>
> At 06:13 PM 4/6/2005, you wrote:
> > Thanks. I am indeed already getting  some MMCs, I just think it would be 
> > cool to have it running off  the strorag boxes. :) Seen on this website:
> > www.angelfire.com/weird2/customsteele/pics/
> > Also, I've got an o-scope with abuilt in signal generator at my school, 
> > but I cant get it to do anything with the box caps. I maintain, perhaps 
> > stupidly, that my caps have a minimum voltage requirement and the 
> > function generator simply can't reach that. I could be wrong, but I don't 
> > think so. :)
> >                                                                Steven Steele