Original poster: "resonance" <resonance@xxxxxxxxxxxx>I had the same trouble with my Big Bruiser coil system. We ended up using a hash filter, series resistors, and varisters to protect the DC motor ---
then the motor failed!! Almost like a Terry filter seemed to work good.The line to the motor was struck by a spark and the motor fried. I found out I need better shielding on the leads to the motor and good filtering at the power supply.
Dr. Resonance
Is anyone using a DC motor to drive an async rotary spark gap? If anyone is doing this, how is your variable DC power supply built? We are having consistent CATESTROPHIC failure of the power supply diodes. Not the motor. The motor is always fine, and the variac is always fine. We are using huge giant diodes (300V @400A) and they are frying instantly. We have tried chokes in series, caps in parallel, caps in series, but nothing seems to help.