Re: troubleshooting tesla coil (fwd)

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 16 Jun 2007 11:44:44 -0400
From: Marko Ruban <Marko@xxxxxxxx>
To: Tesla list <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: troubleshooting tesla coil (fwd)

Thanks for the warning, nothing blew up yet  ;)

I've been keeping the secondary coil removed, until I get the primary
running, at least for a few seconds.  Is that a big problem?  If it is, I
could wind a short secondary, so it's there, but won't produce as much
power.


Tesla list wrote:

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 16 Jun 2007 00:18:09 -0500
From: resonance <resonance@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Tesla list <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: troubleshooting tesla coil (fwd)



Don't ever run a cap without a pri (& sec) load in place.  The very high Q 
of the low inductance circuit (cap, short wires, & sparkgap) will blow your 
caps or xmfr.

This is the equivalent of jumping in your car, putting it in neutral, and 
holding the accelerator to the foor.  No load or place for the energy
to go and ---- blam!

Dr. Resonance


  

Yes that is what I meant, but when it didn't work for a few times, I
removed the primary coil from the circuit, to eliminate it as a source of
trouble.


Tesla list wrote:

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2007 10:36:05 +0100
From: Paul Benham <paulb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Tesla list <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: troubleshooting tesla coil (fwd)

Hi Marko,

The capacitor needs to be in series with the primary, and these are in
parallel with the gap.  I think that is what you meant.

Cheers,

Paul.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, June 15, 2007 3:55 AM
Subject: Re: troubleshooting tesla coil (fwd)




---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 14 Jun 2007 20:55:22 -0600 (MDT)
From: Chip Atkinson <chip@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: Tesla list <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: troubleshooting tesla coil (fwd)

Here's a thought.  It could be that a multimeter doesn't measure a short
because the multimeter's voltage is so low that it wouldn't be able to
jump any gap at all.  At 5500 volts, you can jump some gap so it could be
shorted out.

One way to debug that is to disconnect one of the leads from the NST to
the gap.  Put it on a wooden or non-conductive stick so you will be plenty
insulated from the current.  Then bring this disconnected lead up to the
point where it connects and see what kind of spark you get.  If it's kind
of a flaming spark you have a short.  If it's a really loud crackly snappy
spark then your cap is fine.

Try that and let us know what you see.

Chip

On Thu, 14 Jun 2007, Tesla list 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









This message has been scanned for viruses by MailController -
www.MailController.altohiway.com