Re: SISG - PIRANHA Tesla coil first light! (and other claims)

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "Scott Hanson" <huil888@xxxxxxxxxxxx>

Mike -

WOW!! Eight-foot arcs out of a 120ma NST powered system is 
extraordinary performance, almost unbelievable. With a conventional 
spark-gap coil, this level of performance is usually obtained only 
with an over-driven potential transformer or a pole-pig.

Can you provde the detailed specifications for this coil? I'd sure 
like to try to duplicate this coil with my pair of 15/60's and see if 
I could obtain this performance level.

Dimensions of primary and secondary, MMC cap details (make & model of 
caps used, caps per string & number of strings used, total value, 
etc),  toroid size, resonant frequency, details of the 240 BPS gap 
system, etc, etc. would be GREATLY appreciated. How much current was 
this system pulling from the 120 VAC outlet? Sounds like this coil is 
one for the record books. Certainly some photos are available? I'm 
sure that Terry would be happy to post them at Hot-Streamer.com.

What type of wound was produced when you got hit by the 8' streamer? 
Must have been pretty severe to leave a "nasty" scar years later. Did 
you require immediate medical attention? In 20 years of following 
Tesla-coil related subject matter, I can't ever remember a report 
where a streamer hit caused an open wound, so those of us with 
medical interests would appreciate the first-hand details.

Also, where did you obtain your 30" lawn-ball ornaments, and how much 
did they cost? These would be very useful for anyone building a Van 
de Graaff generator, and spheres this size seem to be extremely 
difficult to find.

Regards,
Scott Hanson


----- Original Message ----- From: "Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, August 27, 2006 7:46 PM
Subject: Re: SISG - PIRANHA Tesla coil first light!


> Original poster: "Mike" <mike.marcum@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
> I once got hit in the shoulder by a 15/120 powered coil a few years 
> ago when I switched from 120 to a 240 bps and a better mmc and 
> underestimated the length increase (~4 to almost 8 feet, with the 
> spark going from thin and blue to alot thicker and white). Left a 
> nasty scar at he strike point. My big toe where it exited to the 
> deadman switch still feels funny (more like doesn't have much 
> feeling). Contact was probably an eye blink long (thanks to the 
> switch), but forget the skin effect (common belief of the time), I 
> felt every beat of the spark gap and that hurt like heck.
Mike

(From Mike's subsequent post:)

<Original poster: "Mike" <mike.marcum@xxxxxxxxxxxx>

"Was thinking of using 1 of those 30" steel ball lawn ornaments I 
have lying around to
make one whenever I can find some suitable 4-6" pullies (aluminum and
teflon hard to find), just don't wanna kill myself when I go to do
the hair-standing stunt."

Mike



> Mike
 (snip)