Original poster: "Hooper, Christopher AZ" <christopher.az.hooper@xxxxxxxxx>
Good day great coiler's,
I also have a 120ma neon transformer (rare and biggggggggg) and had a 20
amp variac that would kick the breaker three out of five times when I
powered up the variac (20 amp 140 volt). I went down to hardware store
and replaced the magnet breaker with thermo/magnet breaker and all my
powerup issues went away, well maybe once in 25 powerup the breaker
would kick, but vary rare now. I think the magnetic breakers are a bit
touchier to the 20 amp variac. Just my 2 cents, could be the springs in
my 20 year old breakers were also pathetic.
Happy power up to all, and to all good night!
Rgs,
christopher
-----Original Message-----
From: Tesla list [mailto:tesla@xxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Monday, November 28, 2005 12:21 AM
To: tesla@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: ...another newbie question
Original poster: "Gerry Reynolds" <gerryreynolds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Hi Dennis,
Most of your questions, I think, have been answered. With a 15/60
NST and no power factor correction, you should be seeing about 14
amps rms. With PFC, this should be around 8 amps. I dont think this
is the cause of blowing your 20 amp fuse. The fuse should maybe be a
slow blow type cause inrush current can (even with no load on the
variac - or the output set to zero) can trip 20 circuit breakers (ask
how I know :o)). I always power up the variac with its output set to
zero and sometimes the circuit breaker on the variac (20A) trips and
sometimes the main circuit breaker (20A) trips, Short of having
special turnon circuit, I just reset the which ever breaker trips
with the variac plugged in. Once I get beyond powering up the
variac, things are normally OK, I have never tripped a breaker with
normal operation (even a GFI one) and this is with 15KV/120ma NST.
Gerry R.
>Original poster: otmaskin5@xxxxxxx
>Thanks for all the advice on the hazards of indoor coil
>operation. After hearing from you guys, man am I glad I asked.
>
>I've got another technical question if anyone would care to weigh
>in. My 4" coil is powered by a 15/60 NST. It keeps blowing the 20
>amp fuse in my variac. I think this means the coil needs PFC. I'm
>pretty sure I know what kind of caps would be right, but I'm having
>trouble determining the proper way (where & how) to hook them up.
>Could one of you help me out this info?
>
>Thanks. Dennis Hopkinton MA
>
>