Original poster: Jim Lux <jimlux@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> At 08:54 AM 3/14/2006, you wrote:
Original poster: "Peter Terren" <pterren@xxxxxxxxxxxx>For a ground, connect your secondary base to a large aluminium sheet or a square sheet of fencing wire at least as wide as the coil is high. A Faraday cage is better though and can be very simple with much less RF. A Faraday cage can be connected to mains earth if desired but not essential.
I'd make sure there's some sort of path to "earth ground".. it can be pretty high impedance, but if it's totally floating, and it's a dry day, you can build up a remarkable charge on something that big, and it's unpleasant to get the static spark. OTOH, if it's sitting on a concrete floor or unpainted wood, or 20 year old apartment carpeting with accumulated grime and beer providing a conductive path, then you're in great shape.
Think about one of those antistatic wrist strap things with the high resistance wire.
This is one I made for the local Uni Physics Dept with a cage. http://tesladownunder.com/Tesla%20display.htm#Tesla%20coil%20(Physics%20Dept)%202006 Peter Tesladownunder