Re: Racing sparks Re: [TCML] Flashover Follow

[jimlux <jimlux@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Miles Mauldin wrote:
> Hi Jim,
>
> So, increasing the top load, and making appropriate tuning adjustments has the 
> potential to help with racing sparks?

Everything has the potential to help <grin> especially if the sparks are 
from the potential being too high <horrible pun, yes, I know>

... I don't know about tuning making a huge difference but changing the 
topload shape will change the electric field distribution, which almost 
certainly has an effect on the racing sparks.  As mentioned, though, I 
think we only have a sort of phenomenological explanation of racing 
sparks.. too much coupling leads to racing sparks, and coils with bigger 
toploads are less likely to have racing sparks.  After that, it's all 
theorizing.

Most coilers want to avoid racing sparks, so they do what it takes to do 
away with them, and as long as the performance is acceptable, that's 
where it sits.  It hasn't seen the kind of extensive experimentation 
that we've seen on other aspects of coil performance (measuring Q 
variations with temperature and humidity, measuring voltage and current 
profiles, etc.).

I'm not even sure how one would set up experiments.. unless you had a 
pile of nicely prewound secondaries to use.
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