Re: troubleshooting tesla coil (fwd)

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2007 10:57:26 -0500
From: resonance <resonance@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Tesla list <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: troubleshooting tesla coil (fwd)



Test the caps leakage current.  It should not exceed 1 mA max.

Dr. Resonance


>
> I was looking for some help on tesla coil construction, and joined this
> list as a result.  Looks like I came to the right place :)
>
> I'm building my first tesla coil, and could use some help "debugging"
> it.  All of the coil parts have been assembled, according to various
> recipes out on the web, but when put together, the spark gap doesn't fire.
>
> I've got the circuit down to a bare minimum:  5.5KV, 30Khz NST provides
> the power, spark gap connected across the transformer output leads, and
> a capacitor in parallel with spark gap.  Without the capacitor, spark
> gap fires just fine, with it, I just hear humming sound (I think coming
> from the vibrating capacitor plates), but no spark.
>
> Capacitor was home built, consists of 8 copper sheets separated by 10mil
> Mylar insulator, roughly 8"x6" area.  Measured C is 7nF.  When DC power
> is supplied (through a rectifier circuit), makes the gap fire at
> intervals, indicating that cap is storing charge.  I thought this could
> be my problem component, so I built a different type of capacitor (beer
> bottle salt water, 800pF), but that didn't change a thing.  Neither
> capacitor is shorted out, according to my multimeter.
>
> Is there any definitive way to test the capacitor for faults?  Am I
> missing something else?  What could be going wrong?
>
> Thanks, for any thoughts you can provide on the subject.
>
> Marko
>
>
>
>