Re: [TCML] Sucker Gap

["garry neeley" <bamacoiler@xxxxxxxxx>]

I've ran a 7000/400ma through a sucker vacuum gap with no big problem
Phillip.  It was a dc resonant charging coil.  But if you feel the need to
upgrade, go for it.
Garry Neeley

On Thu, Jul 24, 2008 at 8:09 AM, Phillip Slawinski <pslawinski@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

> Gary,
>
> I had read this on your website before, I guess I just forgot.  [I enjoyed
> your website very much by the way.]  It's odd that this never happened with
> any of my other NSTs, or maybe I just did not notice it?  I think I'm just
> going to go to a rotary gap, I was having some power handling problems with
> the gap last time I ran the coil.  The last time I ran it was with a 15/120
> and .025uF cap.  This time I'm going to be running a 12/240 with a .05uF
> cap.  I worry that with that power level the PVC may burn or melt after a
> minute of runtime.
>
> On Thu, Jul 24, 2008 at 7:39 AM, Lau, Gary <Gary.Lau@xxxxxx> wrote:
>
> > Hi Phillip,
> >
> > I found exactly the same thing occurring on my sucker gap.  I detailed
> the
> > observation on my sucker gap web page
> > http://www.laushaus.com/tesla/onegap.htm:
> >
> > (Start of quoted text)  I performed an experiment to better observe the
> arc
> > geometry in this gap. By disconnecting the tank components and having the
> > NST output arc directly into the gap, the arc runs at a much lower
> current,
> > and is less brilliant and safer to look at. The result was not at all
> what I
> > expected. Rather than forming a ring between the two reducer faces
> > originating at the copper half-torus, 95% of the arc was in a slender
> line
> > precisely centered in the holes through the brass reducers. I couldn't
> see
> > where this line of arc terminated so I replaced one of the PVC pipes with
> a
> > clear acrylic pipe. The arc did not extend beyond the downwind (closest
> to
> > the vacuum motor) end of the reducer (not surprising), but did stay
> centered
> > throughout the fitting. The connection between the arc and the fitting
> was
> > also surprising. The best way to describe it is like a bottle brush. The
> > main arc travels down the center of the brass reducer, like the handle of
> > the brush. Then, the arc connects to the reducer through a very large
> number
> > of much smaller arcs, perpendicular (or nearly so) to the main arc, like
> the
> > bristles of the brush, over the length of the reducer. (End of quoted
> text)
> >
> > My theory is this.  I'm guessing (WAG) that the air density is lowest
> along
> > the central axis where the low power arcs were observed.  Low density air
> is
> > more easily ionized than higher pressure ambient air, so that's where the
> > ionization occurs.
> >
> > As to why the short, high current arc occurs between the electrode faces,
> > while the low current arc occurs in a slender line through the axis of
> the
> > gap - this is a mystery to me.  Perhaps we simply can't see what's
> happening
> > with the tank circuit configuration, since it's too bright to observe
> > safely.  Or, maybe that all arcs START where the gap is physically
> shortest
> > (between the electrode faces), but progress thereafter to the low
> pressure
> > areas.  But in the high powered config with the tank circuit, the energy
> is
> > gone right after the initial bang?
> >
> > But the short answer is that I think your gap is operating normally.
> >
> > Regards, Gary Lau
> > MA, USA
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: tesla-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tesla-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On
> > > Behalf Of Phillip Slawinski
> > > Sent: Wednesday, July 23, 2008 9:37 PM
> > > To: Tesla Coil Mailing List
> > > Subject: [TCML] Sucker Gap
> > >
> > > I just hooked up my new NST to my sucker gap to test gap width.  A very
> > odd
> > > thing happened.  It had what appeared to be a power arc inside despite
> > the
> > > vacuum motor running.  There was a 2mm thick plasma rod in the very
> > middle
> > > of the electrodes that extended down the tube.  With every other
> > transformer
> > > I have a ring of blue sparks forms around the outside.  Only a half
> > circle
> > > of blue sparks formed this time, in addition to the plasma in the
> middle
> > of
> > > the gap.  Could this be a sign that my sucker gap ... sucks?  Perhaps
> > it's
> > > time to upgrade to a rotary?  If it can't even quench the NST without a
> > cap
> > > there's no way it can quench it with one, right?
> > >
> > > Has anyone else seen this before?
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Tesla mailing list
> > Tesla@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > http://www.pupman.com/mailman/listinfo/tesla
> >
> _______________________________________________
> Tesla mailing list
> Tesla@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> http://www.pupman.com/mailman/listinfo/tesla
>
_______________________________________________
Tesla mailing list
Tesla@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.pupman.com/mailman/listinfo/tesla