uestion

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "Medina, Benjamin (UMR-Student)" <bamxbb@xxxxxxx>

Hey folks, hope everything is going well. I have a couple of questions but 
before I ask them I just want to describe my current situation:

As of know I've spent $257. Our budget is $400. I want to try to optimize 
the performance of my TC as much as I can. Trying to obtain long and longer 
sparks is very exciting. I am aware spark length involves MANY MANY FACTORS.

I have mounted my 15 MMC's (with a 10Mohm resistor across each cap) in the 
following form:

| (one leg)
|
|
|
|
|
|
| - - - - - - -  (other leg)

I still haven't tested my TC with this layout but I am thinking I will not 
get any arcing there.

I still need to experiment and tune by enlarging the gap distance on the 
static gap.

I also want to improve the surface of my toroid. I am sure I can get 
smoother ends and do a better job taping them. Also, I want to get a hold 
of larger pie pans to increase the secondary ckt capacitance and then tune 
again...

Possibly trying a 6" diam PVC with the same type of magnet wire (22 AWG). 
Or just increasing the height my 4" PVC to get 1400 turns. Right now, I 
have approx 1100 turns +/- 20 turns.

Ok, here are my questions, they might seem silly questions but here they go 
anywayz (I should have spent more time checking the archives at pupman.com

1. When tuning (at low power and with a target next to the toroid) is there 
a max spark length one can get? Is there a mathematical equation for this? 
I've seen the following eqn, but I imagine it does not apply to the sparks 
obtained when tuning your TC.

spark length (inches) = 1.7*­ input power (watts)

2. We know that the important thing on the toroid is for the surface to be 
smooth. If there are rough spots or small openings on the Al duct, we'll 
see streamers radiating out from there instead of other places, correct?

Where I am going is, can I control how the streamers spark out (pattern)? 
For example; from a lot random sparks at random locations on the toroid, to 
a few large sparks at certain locations on the toroid, to one big spark on 
one "main" spot on the toroid.

3. With the NST connected in parallel to the SG (rest of the ckt components 
disconnected), what happens to the both components if I keep increasing the 
input voltage to the NST more and more and more (as I turn turn the knob on 
the variac) once the gap has fired across? I am asking before I try this, 
in case something might blow up.   :-)

4. Do the losses in my wiring diminish the voltage at the topload? In other 
words, if I have shorter wires can I get to see longer streamers?

5. This is regarding when the air across the gap ionizes. What is the 
overall effect if I do not have a muffin/blower fan across my gap? The 
temperature will be high and will it try to complete the ckt all the time?


I will be doing some more testing/tuning and will keep the TCML updated on 
the status/progress/or any problems encountered.

Thanks again for your time and responses. You folks have been very helpful 
to me. You guys are the best!!!!

Salute,

Ben Medina
Rolla, MO.