Re: troubleshooting tesla coil (fwd)

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2007 09:02:51 -0700 (PDT)
From: G Hunter <dogbrain_39560@xxxxxxxxx>
To: Tesla list <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: troubleshooting tesla coil (fwd)

Hi Marko,

A 30kHz solid state neon power supply is a poor choice
for a tesla coil.  You may be able to use it by
rectifying the output and charging your tank cap with
DC, but even that is iffy.  The solid state power
supply is looking for a simple resistive load--a neon
sign.  The complex reactive load presented by a tesla
coil tank circuit may cause it to shut down in order
to protect itself from damage.

See if you can obtain an old-style 50Hz iron core neon
transformer.  That will be the quickest fix.

Cheers,

Greg

--- Tesla list <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> 
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Thu, 14 Jun 2007 19:32:17 -0400
> From: Marko Ruban <Marko@xxxxxxxx>
> To: tesla@xxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: troubleshooting tesla coil
> 
> Hello all
> 
> 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
> 
> 
> 
> 



       
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