Re: [TCML] My 9/30 joins transformer heaven...

["Phillip Slawinski" <pslawinski@xxxxxxxxx>]

I know how you feel, I've burnt two large NSTs.  The good thing is that I'm
fairly certain I've figured out why.  It had to do with my gap spacing being
too wide or my break rate being too slow [in ASRG operation].  This resulted
in over-volting of the transformers and eventually death.  I've built a
static sucker gap, and I test all the gap spacing before hooking up the tank
caps now.

I don't have as much experience as others on this list do but it seems to me
that the best thing you can do is set your gap so it's not too wide.

On Wed, Jun 18, 2008 at 3:44 AM, Scott <doxiescott@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> A bit of bad news,
> After finding out the strange effects of Terry Filter were caused by
> simple bad wiring, I promptly cut out the shorts and replaced all of
> the overstressed components as recommend.  After taking the coil
> outside with my RF ground and running a few short fires to reset the
> safety gap, everything seemed fine...Then the coil began to sputter.
> Before I could get to the off switch, the whole system cut out and the
> smell of chlorine became present.
>
> So I killed my first neon transformer after a total service of a few
> hours with my coil.  After I brought it in, it felt very warm to the
> touch and when voltage was applied, it could only draw a very small
> spark and dimmed the lights in my garage.  Yep, defiantly fried.
>
> As my first coil, I expected this to happen at some point, but it was
> just too weird to have a failure after just replacing the Terry
> Filter, although I think the transformer had it coming.  It was only
> regulated by a toggle switch and a low pass EMI filter, so the only
> voltage control was full blast or nothing (a system I'm NOT using
> again).
>
> So for my next 15/60 coil, I suppose its time to invest in a variac,
> and of course build the filter correctly the first time :(  I just
> don't want to see this problem again...(by the way, can someone also
> recommend a good variac size?  Thanks.)
>
> So my question is, what do you think happened?  My spark gap was set
> to a point where the NST could break down the air without the caps
> connected anywhere, the NST case was grounded with a line running
> right to the RF ground.  I personally think when my first coil got a
> good glimpse of the second one I was putting together it got jealous
> and quite on me :)
>
> Seriously though, what's some general advice for protecting NST
> outside of the Terry Filter?
>
> Thanks for all replies, its been a odd week of coiling,
> Scott Leonard
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