I'm a newbie coiler!

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "Steve Ziuchkovski" <smz@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Well, we'll see..

An introduction:

My name is Steve (my friends call me "Zooch"), and I'm an Electronics 
Technician in the US Navy (I've been this for the last five years). 
Before that, I tinkered with electronics for a few years. This has, 
fortunately, made my job in the navy quite a bit easier than those 
with no electronics background. It's also helpful that my father has 
a master's degree in electrical engineering. I know CPR, the dangers 
inherent in working with electricity, and have a respect for it. A 
guy on my ship just took 440 volts and can't use his right arm, at 
least for the time being (it happened about a week ago).

I've wanted to build a tesla coil for about 10 years now. I, like all 
of you probably, think "Wow, this s*** is cool!". Sorry about the 
language, but that's the truth. Almost ranks up there with how an 
op-amp works. Okay, it's probably a bit more impressive...

So, I've finally taken the first step and bought the first big piece 
of my new hobby, the neon sign transformer. I haven't even received 
it in the mail yet, but I'd like to find out if anyone can tell me 
anything about my new toy.

It's a Magnetek 15kv 30ma transfomer. The information on eBay says 
the part number is 721-111-400, and the label information is that 
it's a 120v, 60 Hz, 450VA, 30mA transformer. However, I can't find a 
datasheet on the net for it. Anyone have any information?

If my research and knowledge is correct, this baby puts out 15kv at 
30ma, which comes out to 450w. Draws about 3.75 amps from the wall. 
If I short the secondary terminals together, nothing untowards will 
happen as long as the mains circuit can provide 3.75 amps without 
blowing breakers or fuses or melting the wiring at this rating, right?

For my first project, I plan to hook this up for a Jacob's Ladder - 
effectively shorting the secondary. Any issues associated with this? 
I've read the safety sheet (at 
<http://www.pupman.com/safety.htm>www.pupman.com/safety.htm), but I 
know I'll be making a spark-gap transmitter. I live in an apartment 
complex and don't want to piss off my neighbors by making their TVs 
go whacky, causing them to drop cell-phone calls, and making their 
dog's bark. I also don't want to suffocate myself with ozone. But I 
also wont be running my Jacob's Ladder for hours on end.

As far as the tesla coil plans go - I read an article at 
<http://www.nutsvolts.com/PDF_Files/tesla.pdf>http://www.nutsvolts.com/PDF_Files/tesla.pdf, 
and this seems like a pretty simple article for a pretty simple 
design. However, it's missing some details that I think I might like. 
Can someone point me to a better article or web site? I'd like to 
have some good specific guidelines, but something general enough that 
will let me play around a little depending on what is available locally.

I'd also like to be able to make some meaurements on the resulting 
hardware. Like I said, I've played around with electronics before, 
usually low-voltage stuff. I have experience with some embedded 
hardware/software, mostly with Atmel's line of microprocessors. I've 
done some stuff with this hardware like collecting measurements on 
temperatures, RTCs, logging the data to EEPROMS, and displaying stuff 
on LCDs/interfacing with computers over RS232. Where can I find 
information on measuring the frequencies/voltages/currents present in 
a tesla coil? How do I go about making HV probes and such, and 
overcoming the interference I'd be getting by having this circuitry 
in proximity to my tesla coil, when it's built? Or, for that matter, 
near my Jacob's Ladder as a starting point? Apparently, analog meters 
may be the way to go, but being able to collect digital samples to 
analyze seem to be a little more fun (and more accurate).

It looks like my little e-mail here is not so little anymore.

Well, my name is "Zooch", and I love electronics - and electricity.

Steve "Zooch" Ziuchkovski