Re: Capacitor in series or parallel?

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: Steve Conner <steve@xxxxxxxxxxxx>

> Original poster: "Dirk Stubbs" <dirk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
> On the primary circuit of a Tesla coil, is it better
> to put the
> capacitor in series or parallel with the primary
> coil.

I think the question you are really asking is:

"Should you connect the power supply transformer
across the capacitor, or across the spark gap?"

The reason I interpret it this way is that a Tesla
coil won't function unless it has a primary coil,
capacitor, and spark gap all wired in series. So the
only variable in the circuit is which points you
choose to hook up your NST, pole pig, or whatever.

The usual answer to this is that you connect the power
supply across the spark gap, in order to minimise the
amount of RF fed back into the transformer. This is a
moot point though: spark gaps generate RF too.

Steve Conner