RE: [TCML] Primary selfC

[Jeff Behary <electrotherapy@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I have to agree with Finn.  I've used copper ribbon almost exclusively the last 2 years and have used the coils primarily to study electrical discharges in complete darkness.  The only time I ever saw corona around the primary was when the secondary discharge was directed to it, in which case any piece of metal would exhibit the same effect.  But if the streams were directed elsewhere, the primary remained in complete darkness.  Even exposures on direct film for lichtenberg figures (where the primary was in close proximity to the film) no effects were noticed with normal circuits.  I have pushed as 50kV through coils with copper ribbon.  
 
I have some antique coils where copper ribbon as thin as a few thousandths of an inch were used for the primary, and despite the really thin stuff they still work fine also.
 
Where cost and space are no object, I am sure that tubing would be the ideal choice for a coil.  But I think for simplicity and ease of working with for most home coilers, you can't beat the ribbon.
 
I even have one coil where the secondary coil was wound with thin copper ribbon in a flat spiral.  The coil has 2 flat spiral Pancake Coils made like this, both are around 7" in diameter and are embedded in wax.  The output is an impressive flame over 10" long, a really hot discharge.  
 
There are some 1897 references to Tesla using copper ribbon 6" in width for one of his small portable coils!  For something so small, normal rubber coated solid house wire of the time would make sense, but I am sure he had a specific reason for doing so.
Once I saw an early patent, I will have to dig to find the number, but the primary coil of the Tesla Coil was wound with two ribbons in parallel separated by a dielectric to form a condenser.  The number of primary turns was calculated such that it matched the capacity of the condenser needed for resonance in the circuit.  I never saw a machine like this or tried it before.  The power transformer was connected directly to both ribbons, as a cap, as if I remember correctly the spark gap was placed in parallel with the ribbons, so it formed a cap and gap in parallel with the primary (which also functioned as the cap), in a very strange sort of way.  Maybe it worked for someone...
Jeff
> > > I beg to differ from this point of view:> > The Museum coil features sharp edged ribbon, and it was put into service > 6 years ago. It has been running daily, ever since. None of the > degradation you mention has ben reported, or detected by myself.> > Doing it`s 6-footers:> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1RzN43Ql1I> 
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