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Re: Capacitor Help

Original poster: Terry Fritz <vardin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Hi,

At 07:12 PM 12/16/2005, you wrote:


> Just resist the temptation to increase the main gap size to get
> larger arcs.  But LTR MMCs should fix that risk anyway...

Humm but I thought the correct way to set the spark gap is to hookup nothing
but the NST to the spark gap and then set the gap as wide as I can with the
cooling fan blowing on it.  My understanding was set the gap as wide as it
will reliably go without been intermitent.  Is that not right?
Or is my above described proceedure correct but once the caps and primary
are hooked up it's possible to increase the spark gap because of all the
extra power in the circuit and that's what I should not do?
In the days of resonant caps, if you increased the gap width, the NST voltage would increase too. If the gap were too wide, the NST would blow up. Theoretically it could go to like 80,000V!! Thus the warning about too wide of gaps and safety gaps just in case.
Of course times have changed now, but I still say somethings out of old habit %:-) You are right about how to adjust the gap. 



> BTW - Someone mentioned not to short Tesla coil caps directly...  If
> there is nothing to limit the current (like a primary coil) the
> capacitor current is probably 5,000 to 10,000 amps into a dead
> short.  That will damage the caps.

Wow that's unbelievable.  Sounds like that could be deadly if you accidently
touched it.  I will be sure to never short them out directly like that.


Yeah!!  DON'T touch it!!!


> When using a strike ring, wire it to RF ground which is separate from
> your mains house ground. I use copper pipe hammered into the ground
> for RF ground. The bottom secondary is also attached to RF ground.

Owww this throws another wrench in the works.  A copper pipe hammered into
the ground hey...  hummm is this the only way?  I mean that's fine for
playing at home but the whole reason I started building the Tesla Coil is
because we are having a christmas tree decoration contest at work.  My team
as built a christmas tree cage from chicken wire and I'm building the Tesla
Coil (on my own dime) to go inside the tree cage.  We're not going to have a
copper pipe in the ground available there.  Is there an alternative we can
do?
Ground the bottom of the secondary and strike ring to the cage. Are there any major steel parts of the building near by. Like girders or metalwork?? Look around the building area tomorrow for solid metal things...
I have never mentioned this before, but I have often contemplated using a choke between the RF ground and the AC line ground. The AC line ground could then still provide 60Hz safety but the choke would block the RF from the AC ground. My DRSSTC has this but I have always used an RF ground too... One problem with running only the AC ground is that if the RF really wanted to arc across the choke, it easily could... 

Cheers,

        Terry