RE: 9" Pancake Coil, 9600 BPS Rotary Gap: 12" plus discharges (fwd)

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 27 Jun 2007 01:21:20 +0000
From: Jeff Behary <jeff_behary@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: tesla@xxxxxxxxxx
Cc: wysock@xxxxxxx
Subject: RE: 9" Pancake Coil, 9600 BPS Rotary Gap: 12" plus discharges (fwd)

Part II of this test was under oil.  The finest I could find...in the 
kitchen.  It was soy bean oil, and it said it was fine for making 
Pancakes...  Oh well.  It worked in any case.

http://www.electrotherapymuseum.com/2007/RotPanOil2/index.htm

What appeared to be the best performance of the coil is when the rotary gap 
was closed a bit (in the movie you can see some changes in the discharge - 
these were effected by my hand pressing on the frame that held one of the 
stationary electrodes)

The thickest discharge and best effect visually was around 12" in length.  I 
am using wax in the end instead of oil, and have already poured both Primary 
and Secondary coils - they are a little over 3" thick and 10" in diameter.  
I will make a case with both transformers, choke coil, condenser, and rotary 
gap with an adjustable  ground discharger set at 16" between centers.  This 
will give 4" for brush/effluve discharges and corona effects.  For most 
demonstrations, I'll set the dischargers at 10" or so to not put a strain on 
the windings (any more than there already is!) for extended periods of 
operation.

I should add that this type of Pancake (an almost flat spiral - 1.5 TPL) 
wasn't really manufactured for anything ever in time.  I "invented" this 
simple method of winding to make long sparks from a compact size coil.  Its 
not efficient compared to a normal "multilayered" coil typical of the 20s, 
but very few single coil units produced sparks this long.  Even despite the 
discharge length, the character of the sparks and effluves is still 
enjoyable.  The brush discharge in particular.

Now, for anyone questioning the reason for the waxy mess 3" thick:  The 
spacing between the innermost turn and outermost turn of the secondary coil 
is less than 4" point to point - holding back a spark over a foot long!

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

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