Re: Homemade Voltage Divider

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "David Rieben" <drieben@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Adam, Jim, Steve, Sean,

Thanks for the helpful hints. Actually, I had built a
somewhat crude quarter shrinker a few years ago
but ended up dismantling it and selling the caps. I
am now trying to build another one with over twice
as much discharge energy (over 20 kJ as opposed
to a "mere" 10 kJ with my frst setup). I had noted
the same aspects that Adam mentions with charging
up his, but was using 2 seriesed 7.2 kV PTs as the
high voltage source. I was also using 2 MOTs with
their secondaries shorted as an input ballast for the
PTs. I don't have the MOT ballast in this setup, but
may just use my 3 kOhm, 250+ watt ceramic resistor,
which can be seenon the second picture down at:
http://dawntreader.net/hvgroup/resistor.html
in series with the charging supply to the caps as a
current limiter. Hopefully, I can secure the other (2)
10 kV, 120 µFd Maxwells in the next few weeks
to complete the capacitor bank.

David Rieben



----- Original Message ----- From: "Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, February 01, 2006 8:52 PM
Subject: Re: Homemade Voltage Divider


Original poster: Yurtle Turtle <yurtle_t@xxxxxxxxx>

I used to use my 15/120:

http://www.hot-streamer.com/adam/garage/NST_15-120a.jpg

with a set of x-ray diodes:

http://www.hot-streamer.com/adam/garage/diodes_125_kV_1_amp_1.jpg

http://www.hot-streamer.com/adam/garage/diodes_125_kV_1_amp_2.jpg

to charge up mine. I simply used my DMM with a HV
probe to measure cap voltage, and a variac to control
the voltage. Once I was charged, I disconnected the
DMM and the PSU and fired it. I found that if I ramp
up the voltage pretty fast then turn it down as I get
close to your target voltage, I could get pretty
close. Since my NST is current limited, you may have
to slowly ramp up your bombarder. You can always put
an amp clamp on the bombarder LV side, just to see
what's going on.

Adam