Re: mysterious coil failure (fwd)

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 28 Oct 2007 11:01:23 +0000
From: David Rieben <drieben@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Tesla list <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: mysterious coil failure (fwd)

Hi Scott,

It looks like that your coil has suffered a turn/turn short
in the lower part of the secondary coil. This will rob a
lot of the power from the output, as the majority of the
generated energy is being used up at the short in stead
of going into the output sparks and streamers. There
will probably be carboniztion around the shorted area
and you will have to remove the affected windings and
clean up that burnt spot to correct the problem. The hu-
mididty could have played a part in this failure. If you are
running your coil on the "ragged edge" of its power/voltage
handling capacity, for its physical size (which most of us
coilers are very guilty of ;^), then firing it in an extra humid
environment may have been the "straw that broke the camel's 
back".

BTW, I see that you have now experienced "Murphy's
Law" of coiling - It works flawlessly for countless "test
fires" but quickly fails when you decide to show it off
to company ;^)( Hopefully, the shorted turns are near
the bottom of the coil so repair of the secondary coil 
will be relatively easy.

Good luck
David Rieben

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: "Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx> 

> 
> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- 
> Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2007 22:10:06 -0400 
> From: Scott Bogard 
> To: tesla@xxxxxxxxxx 
> Subject: mysterious coil failure 
> 
> 
> Hey guys, 
> I was running my 6-in MOT coil tonight for my little cousins, and it 
> died and I cannot figure out what is wrong. The spark gap fires fine, I 
> did not adjust anything, it just died between runs, and won't arc except 
> to a grounded rod (it acts like it is badly out of tune, but like I said, 
> I adjusted nothing). The only thing different I notice, is that there was 
> very high humidity, and I could see a tiny spark at the base of the 
> secondary. It isn't arcing to anything, it is just a glowing spot, that 
> melted through the electrical tape insulation. I'm stumped, I guess I'll 
> tear the insulation off of the bottom of the sec' coil and see if anything 
> is amiss, but I've never had a failure like this before. The only other 
> possibility is that somehow my ballast malfunctioned, but I don't think 
> so. 
> 
> Scott Bogard. 
> 
> _________________________________________________________________ 
> Help yourself to FREE treats served up daily at the Messenger Café. Stop by 
> today. 
> http://www.cafemessenger.com/info/info_sweetstuff2.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_OctWLtagl 
> ine 
> 
>