RE: DC tesla coil

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "Steve Conner" <steve.conner@xxxxxxxxxxx>

>http://www.scopeboy.com/tesla/tc2schem.html
>I am going to replace the diodes he uses with microwave oven diodes

It was me who designed that circuit, and I chose not to use MO diodes
because I wanted the balancing resistors and snubber caps across each diode
junction. You can buy heavy duty MO diodes with these parts inside (for
commercial ovens) but they were so expensive that it worked out cheaper to
buy a hundred 1N5408s and some caps and resistors.

But, I have since been persuaded that there was no need for the balancing
resistors and caps and I basically wasted my time and money, hence if I was
doing it again I would use ordinary cheap microwave oven diodes. but beware,
they come in several different voltage ratings as far as I know.


>and use the same capacitors.

If you mean "the same capacitors as I used" then it should be all right, if
you mean "the same capacitors as were in the ovens you pulled the diodes
from" no.


>would two microwave oven diodes in series work for the de-Qing diode?

The de-Qing diode never sees more than the power supply voltage (which is
around 10kV) so two MO diodes in series should be fine.


>Thanks for all of the help.

No problem, please let us know how you get on.


Steve Conner