RE: Safety gap - setting

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "Andy Gabriel" <Andyman3k@xxxxxxxxxxx>

I'm not sure if this is correct, but I think the reason that it fires as
soon as you power it up is because the switch sends a very short pulse
through the transformer and sparks across the outputs for a split second;
but this ionizes the air so the arc continues. I've had the spark jump for a
split second and not continue on but that is because the gap was being
quenched so I think the ionized path was "blown away".
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, I'm relatively new with this kind of stuff
(compared to a lot of the other guys).

-----Original Message-----
From: Tesla list [mailto:tesla@xxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Sunday, December 03, 2006 8:54 AM
To: tesla@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Safety gap - setting

Original poster: otmaskin5@xxxxxxx

I just finished rebuilding & resetting my safety gap, but I'm not
sure I got it right.  Basically I set the gap so it just barely
wouldn't fire at full 130v variac setting.  I tested the setting by
dialing the variac from 0v to 130v pretty much the way I would do it
if I were actually starting up the tesla coil.

My question is this.  When I already had the variac set at 130v &
then hit the "on" switch, the safety gap would fire.  This abrupt
powering up would fire the gap at settings that would not fire when I
gradually dialed up the voltage to max.  To get the gap so it
wouldn't fire when I powered it up abruptly, it required a much wider
setting.

Which of the 2 methods to test gap setting is correct - abrupt full
power or gradual dial up?  Thx for any suggestions.  Dennis Hopkinton MA