[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: LC III

Original poster: Terry Fritz <teslalist@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Hi Paul,

At 10:06 PM 3/27/2005, you wrote:
Terry,
Very well spoken, indeed, however I must speak out for us new to electronics and coiling. Although I have been trying to teach myself about electronics and electricity in general for several years, my background is Computer Science, I still certainly consider myself new and certainly less than journeyman as far as electronics goes.

My point is that, IMHO, it would be daunting to say the least to attempt to jump into building Tesla Coils if one has to learn enough about electronics to build a solid state control unit to replace the very simple spark gap. Heck, I'm still leery of attempting to build a rotary spark gap. When I left off, I don't even remember the distinction being made between synchronous and asynchronous spark gaps. It through me when I discovered I would need a synchronous motor and have to worry about phase relationships in spark propagation. (I think I said that correctly{:-))

Out of the 1500 people on this list (never knew there we that many did you :-))) I can count the DRSSTC folks on "one" hand!! So no worries, the "old" spark gap machines are far from dead... But it is sort of like "having the "bomb""!! for those of us that do have DRSSTCs ;o)))

They are "bleeding edge" machines for those that are used to seeing big electrical explosions, close up!! Those that play with them are pretty high up in the electronics game (Jimmy's dad was an EE I think)... Someday soon, the "hard parts" will be sold by somebody in nice little shrink packs. But for now, leave the mess to those that love the hard stuff and have infinite budgets to support the massive R&D behind them...


I was all set to build my first Tesla Coil about 4 years ago, until I was abruptly halted due to blindness as a result of diabetic retinopathy. Fortunately for me, thanks to modern medicine and after a half a dozen eye surgeries, they have managed to restore enough site in my left eye to where I can read and use the computer with assistance. Although I am still legally blind, I have slowly revived my interest in electronics and coiling and just recently started researching the web to see "where things have gotten to" and subsequently joined this list. I, very much like you have described, was completely shocked at the way things have progressed and changed. I am still coming to grips with the demise of 1/4 wave theory and (thank god) messy, difficult to build, oil filled caps.

Undaunted, I have continued following this list, asking questions, and accumulating parts. Thanks to the patience and help of many of you on this list, I believe I have saved myself a lot of trouble, expense, time, and grief in attempting to build myself a first coil.

So, Terry, I have a question for you. After what you have said, what is your recommendation to someone fairly new to electronics who wants to learn and wants to construct their own small Tesla Coil? Would you recommend that they wait until they have learned enough about electronics to build a solid state control unit or go ahead and "get their feet wet" by building and testing a relatively simpler spark gap coil.

Don't mess with the DRSSTC!!! Build the proven and reliable coils!!! 99% of coilers use them!!! I spent 4 hard months on my DRSSTC!! I am a switching power supply engineer and it was hard for me... It is a bleeding edge technology for "next year", not this one... The DRSSTC is a "BIG DEAL". But like string theory, it is not at all "prime time"... "Someday", we will all have one, but not "today"...

Cheers,

        Terry


Thanks and thanks again for the kind comments and recommendations you have made. Everything is greatly appreciated.
Paul Brodie
Think Positive 



----- Original Message -----
From: "Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, March 27, 2005 11:06 PM
Subject: Re: LC III

> Original poster: Terry Fritz <teslalist@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
> Hi,
>
> The speed of light and 1/4 wave wire resonance was used by Tesla and pretty
> much everyone else for 90 years...
>
> ...............