RE: [TCML] STRIATIONS Argon

["Lau, Gary" <Gary.Lau@xxxxxx>]

My BZT-powered coil is conventional in every sense, just small.

The transformer was removed from a large bug zapper.  I had calculated the output voltage as 4.8kV @9mA, though the voltage is questionable since I had arrived at that figure by applying 120VAC to the secondary and measuring the primary voltage.  The critical thing however is that most BZT's have an integral ceramic disc capacitor wired across their secondary windings, to provide a reservoir of charge to put some snap into the zap.  I had to dig into the potting to remove it.

Gap is two parallel copper pipes.  Primary is ~5 turns #18 AWG helical coil on a PVC pipe cap.  Secondary is (estimate from memory) .84" dia x 3.4" of #38 (tiny!) wire, taken from a small relay coil.  Topload is a pseudo-toroid, 3/4" x 3.4" dia pine disk turned on a drill-press lathe, covered with Al tape.  RF ground is just the mains ground.  No filters of any sort.  Spark performance is about 2.5 inch or so, with very little tuning performed.  Putting a page documenting this on my web site is on my to-do list!

Regards, Gary Lau
MA, USA

> -----Original Message-----
> From: tesla-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tesla-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On
> Behalf Of Jim Mora
> Sent: Sunday, November 18, 2007 9:43 PM
> To: 'Tesla Coil Mailing List'
> Subject: RE: [TCML] STRIATIONS Argon
>
> Gary,
>
> Can you describe your bug zapper coil? That sound like table top fun. Hmm,
> my neighbor welds with argon...
> Jim
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: tesla-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tesla-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On
> Behalf
> Of Lau, Gary
> Sent: Sunday, November 18, 2007 5:58 PM
> To: 'Tesla Coil Mailing List'
> Subject: RE: [TCML] STRIATIONS Argon
>
> I was fortunate to have had access to a large welder's cylinder of argon
> (thanks Steve!).  We found a spool of ~1" diameter clear polyethylene
> tubing, kind of a continuous thin plastic bag.  I filled a ~5 foot length
> with argon, and holding the inflated tube against my very small bug zapper
> transformer-powered coil, achieved several foot-long surface arcing along
> the interior of the tubing.  It was similar to a plasma globe.  I suspect
> that if I had used a higher powered coil, the plastic would have melted.
>
> I also tried filling an aquarium with argon and running the coil in there,
> but it didn't seem to do anything special, not sure why.  I'm pretty sure I
> let enough gas flow to displace the air.  Based on that, I doubt the smoke
> ring trick would work.
>
> Regards, Gary Lau
> MA, USA
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: tesla-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tesla-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On
> > Behalf Of Peter Terren
> > Sent: Sunday, November 18, 2007 6:48 PM
> > To: Tesla Coil Mailing List
> > Subject: Re: [TCML] STRIATIONS Argon
> >
> > I have seen photos of a long plastic tube filled with argon (possibly
> partly
> > pumped down) attatched to a TC that gave a spark or rather glow in the
> tube
> > many meters long.
> > The argon "smoke ring" should work at the expense of a lot of argon. At
> best
> > 10% of the output of a smoke machine remains in the ring. It might take a
> > bit to get a good photo. On my to do list. along with a lot of other argon
> > stuff.
> >
> > Peter
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Ed Phillips" <evp@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> > To: "Tesla Coil Mailing List" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
> > Sent: Monday, November 19, 2007 5:10 AM
> > Subject: Re: [TCML] STRIATIONS
> >
> >
> > > Another semi-offtopic "cool demo" idea.  I have heard that argon gas
> makes
> > > the sparks larger/longer?  Someone once suggested that I get one of
> those
> > > smoke ring launchers (http://www.zerotoys.com/newsite/products.htm) and
> > > shoot argon gas rings at the topload for a lightning donut effect."
> > >
> > > That one sounds interesting but wonder if it would be possible to
> generate
> > > a high enough concentration to do anything?  Seems to me guys here have
> > > talked about filling a big plastic bag with helium and attaching it to
> the
> > > top terminal.  I believe that Bill Beatty has described some interesting
> > > experiments along these lines.
> > >
> > > Ed
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