Re: noob question

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "BRIAN FOLEY" <ka1bbg@xxxxxxxxxxx>

Ok, ben, first maybe tell what you have for a coil, dimensions primary
turns, transformer, capacitor and so forth. then we can help you more. cul
brian f.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, February 27, 2006 2:38 PM
Subject: noob question


> Original poster: ben eells <squeels2171@xxxxxxxxx>
>
> I've been looking for quite a while to find an answer to this
> question and haven't had any luck. Please don't flame me too bad.
> I've built my first coil based on the schematic for the 12" spark
> coil from information unlimited. I can run my coil for maybe 20
> seconds or so (depending on the width of my gap) but eventually the
> spark gap stops firing and the coil stops working and won't start
> again until I turn it off and back on again. I've tried shortening
> the spark gap but the problem will persist and the more I try to run
> the coil the sooner the gap stops firing. Can anyone explain to me
> why this happens and what can be done to keep the coil running while
> the power is on. The only explaination I have been able to come up
> with by myself is that my capacitor is slowly dieing (I've had to
> replace the capacitor once already) and the longer I run it it can't
> produce the breakdown voltage.
>
>