Why am I getting small sparks? Am I underpowered? (fwd)

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---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2007 18:38:35 +0000
From: Trevor Keast <trevor_keast@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: tesla@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Why am I getting small sparks? Am I underpowered?

Hi Guys,
 
I managed to reach 'first light' with my coil last night however I was unable to get the spark length that I was hoping for and feel I may be underpowered.
 
A basic overview of my coil is as follows:
 
6 inch secondary diameter
24 inch secondary length
approx 900 windings on secondary (24 AWG magnet wire)
13 Turns on primary made from 1/4 copper tube
static spark gap
beer bottle cap (14 bottles)
15,000V 30mA NST
4 inch dryer tube toroid (approx 12in diameter)
 
I tuned it as best I could but was unable to get sparks bigger than about 6 inches.  They were also quite dim and could hardly be seen unless in the dark.
 
I am wondering if I am underpowered?  How can I improve spark length?
 
I greatly appreciate any advice or comments.
 
Regards,
 
Trevor.
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