Re: Ignition Coils (fwd)

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2007 20:48:09 +0000
From: Jeff Behary <jeff_behary@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: tesla@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Ignition Coils (fwd)

Hello Scott, Daniel,

Running an ignition coil from 110V does seem crazy, but I managed to run one 
from 220V, which seems even more crazy:
http://www.electrotherapymuseum.com/2007/250WT/index.htm

This ignition coil in the photo is from a Model T.  I'm sure a modern one 
would work even better...maybe someone will try.

In the old days of points/condensers the voltage on the cap could reach a 
few hundred volts when the circuit was broken.  I just used this concept 
with a spark gap to do in the interrupting instead of the points or 
electronics..and switched the wiring to a normal TC circuit.  The discharge 
is pretty mean, low frequency, not one you would want to come into contact 
with by any means!   I was consuming a little over an amp or from a 220V 
line (actual measured voltage was 241V).  The only tricky bit is the 
tungsten spark gap, which should be near to .001" or around the thickness of 
a piece of paper.  The cap was 1/2 mfd.  I also tried it with a microwave 
oven cap, around 1 mfd.

I'm curious to test this one day to see how it will power a normal TC 
instead of a transformer.

Jeff Behary, c/o
The Turn Of The Century Electrotherapy Museum
http://www.electrotherapymuseum.com



>From: Scott Bogard <teslas-intern@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>To: tesla@xxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: Re: Ignition Coils (fwd)
>
>Daniel,
>      I think putting an ignition coil across 120 V AC is asking for a pile
>of molten copper (correct me if I'm wrong guys).  They are meant for 12 V 
>or
>so DC input (off a condenser, triggered by the distributer), and get HV 
>out,
>by operating at resonance (like a TC, using one off of turns ratio alone
>doesn't amount to much).  You have to drive the coils with a small solid
>state circuit (either a 555 timer based circuit, or you can be tricky, and
>use a circuit like this
>http://www.personal.psu.edu/sdb229/plasma%20ball%20power%20supply.html
>just wind three windings on a small toroid core transformer (pirated out of
>something) and they will be your primary, and feedback windings, as well as
>a winding to put voltage into you ignition coil.  I have never actually
>tried this, but it does work with flybacks, so it should work with an
>ignition coil as well.)  After you have your ignition coils resonating at
>whatever frequency they work best at (my circuit may not perfectly match
>their frequency, therefore may not be the most efficient, but it is real
>easy), you rectify their outputs (parallel as many as you want for maximum
>power, give each coil its own driver though), and make yourself a tiny DC
>coil.  I wouldn't rule out subbing in flybacks instead of Ignition coils,
>but you might have to use the old AC type, and rectify them, as I think the
>polarity of modern rectified flybacks is wrong for your application (maybe
>it doesn't make a difference!  I don't know).  Good luck.
>Scott Bogard.
>
>
> >From: "Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
> >To: tesla@xxxxxxxxxx
> >Subject: Re: Ignition Coils (fwd)
> >Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2007 20:50:52 -0600 (MDT)
> >
> >
> >---------- Forwarded message ----------
> >Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2007 02:31:53 +0000
> >From: Langer Giv'r <transworldsnowboarding19@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> >To: tesla@xxxxxxxxxx
> >Subject: Re: Ignition Coils (fwd)
> >
> >hey that looks like a pretty good schematic.  Thanks.  Just a quick
> >question
> >on it:  The signal generator being the 555 does not show which prongs to
> >use.  The 2N3055 transistors are pretty staight forward, but I can't 
>figure
> >out which of the 8 prongs to use on the 555.
> >
> >this is the page that shows the schematic i'm looking at:
> >http://www.rmcybernetics.com/projects/DIY_Devices/homemade_tesla_coil.htm
> >
> >Also, if I wanted to use more power, would I be able to use 120V AC to
> >power
> >the coils? (kinda like a small version of a NST)  Would i need heavy
> >resisting or ballasting?  Could i just use like three in parallel to
> >increase the voltage I can put accross them?
> >
> >
> >Daniel

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