Re: Hot! MOTs and enamelled wire

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "Malcolm Watts" <m.j.watts@xxxxxxxxxxxx>

Hi Steve, all,

On 9 Jul 2005, at 13:58, Tesla list wrote:

> Original poster: Steve Conner <steve@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
>
> >>Wire with red insulation on
> >>it is low quality.
>
> I beg to differ, I think you can get poor quality enamelled wire in
> any colour you like ;) The wire I get from Maplin or RS is, I think,
> the stuff that Malcolm would consider low quality. It comes in a light
> gold or red colour. You can also get it in green and blue if you look
> around.

The acid test is whether you can melt through it with solder being
applied at typical coldering iron temperatures after several seconds.
Colours do vary.

> When I was building the OLTC II I went to Hi-Wire and asked for high
> quality wire. They gave me the high temperature rated stuff (200 deg.C
> iirc) which was a dark reddish brown colour.
>
> It doesn't seem to make much difference though. I have never seen
> inter-turn insulation breakdown in any of my Tesla coils, whether made
> with cheap wire or premium stuff, and I have driven them plenty hard
> enough. Even when a Tesla coil is maxed out, the voltage between turns
> must still be less than 1kV.
>
> As for MOTs, I have sitting on my desk a MOT with "Class 200" on the
> label. I assume that means 200 deg.C and hence it is made with the
> "premium" high temperature wire. The wire on my MOT certainly looks
> the same colour as the good stuff I bought.
>
> Steve Conner

The wire type for Tesla Coils is not an issue I agree since it won't
experience any real heating or friction/vibration.

Malcolm