RE: [TCML] HV Panel Meters

["Lau, Gary" <Gary.Lau@xxxxxx>]

You can use a standard AC analog meter, but here's a couple things to think about.

1) You'd have to take special precautions to ensure that all parts of the meter are thoroughly insulated from a panel and contact with people.  It's probably not advisable to mount it permanently on a panel.

2) AC meters are calibrated to read RMS current, and assume that the input waveform is a sine wave.  The current drawn from an NST into an operating Tesla coil does not remotely resemble a sine wave and I can't offer any sort of conversion factor.  So you might benefit form seeing a relative indication, but the actual current value would be unknown.  To get a useful RMS current reading, you would need a true RMS meter, which typically being digital, is subject to haywire behavior anywhere near a Tesla coil.

Regards, Gary Lau
MA, USA

> -----Original Message-----
> From: tesla-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tesla-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On
> Behalf Of Phillip Slawinski
> Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2008 8:26 AM
> To: Tesla Coil Mailing List
> Subject: [TCML] HV Panel Meters
>
> I'd like to set up some some meters to measure the secondary side of my
> transformer [directly].  My question is if a standard shunted mA current
> meter would be okay for this, or would I have to get a special high voltage
> model?

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