RE: need some capacitor help

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "Lau, Gary" <Gary.Lau@xxxxxx>

Hi Russ:

If all else is hooked up correctly, a 20kV cap rating should be more
than ample for a 9kV NST.  But you didn't provide enough detail to rule
out other problems.

If one hooks up JUST the capacitor across the NST secondary, with no
spark gap, that could result in the trouble you describe.  Same thing if
you have a spark gap and primary coil properly wired, but with the spark
gap set too wide.  Either of these scenarios may result in the NST
charging the capacitor bank to a voltage far in excess of the NST
rating, and can easily kill the cap and/or the NST.  The spark gap width
sets the maximum voltage seen by the circuit, and this can be way higher
than the NST voltage, so setting the gap properly is critical.

Let us know more about the NST current rating and your gap
configuration?

Regards, Gary Lau
MA, USA


> Original poster: russell dischar <hightechredneck2005@xxxxxxxxx>
>
>
>
> This is my first coil and am having some problems with my capacitors
> i have 10 20kv 680pf doorknob caps. i fitted them between 2 sheets of
> 1/4 inch plexiglass and had them all hooked up in parrallell.
> powering with a 9000 volt nst i had really bad sparking everywhere.
> what would be my best set up with theeses caps is 20kv caps enogh or
> should i put like 2 in series.
> thanks for the help
> Russ
>