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Re: [TCML] new spark gap



Hi Thomas,

I see you picked up some couplings. They work great!

The angle brackets however are a problem. Their mounted to wood and the wood will conduct, especially at the gap. Your adjustment capability is great, but the wooden block your mounting the angles on is not. Replace it with a nylon slab (cutting board; check out Walmart). A nylon slab will allow the angles to be used as is. Also, drill a hole for say a #8 screw at sides of the outermost electrodes and attach the wires with a screw directly to the electrodes. This will prevent the angles themselves of conducting energy. Thus, all the energy is from one side of the far electrode to the other side without any losses except the gap electrodes themselves.

You need air. Air cooling is important. The air should flow inside and outside of these electrodes. This is why I like to epoxy these particular tubes into a pvc form. The epoxy holds well unless you physically try to break it away (and it will). But, for sparks, high temp epoxy works just fine and there is no need for angle brackets. However, the gap width is set. Thus, I use 6 electrodes with .050" spacing between each. You can set the gap by easily by shorting out electrodes (lots of ways to do that) which means that the end electrodes with wires attached remain unchanged.

http://www.classictesla.com/photos/ba45/s2752.jpg

In this photo, I attach wires directly to the electrodes. Yet, I can short out any number of electrodes between these to vary the total gap width. Also, the pvc tube draws air around and inside of the electrodes keeping them nice and cool. I have a hefty fan in my case.

I think you will see great improvement in your new gap compared to your previous.

Take care,
Bart

Thomas Ryckmans wrote:
Hello,

I'd like to have your thoughts on my new spark gap (image 6)

http://www.pupman.com/current/tryckmans/index.html

for a small coil running on a 6kV 50 mA NST

Many thanks!

Thomas

Or here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Thomas.Ryckmans/TeslaStuff/photo#518513727854380
5698



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