Re: [TCML] Tesla Coil Computer Interference

[Gary Lau <glau1024@xxxxxxxxx>]

I share the interest in this question (how to quantitatively measure the
"bad stuff" going into the mains), as this has great meaning when it comes
to what constitutes a good RF ground.  I've also asked on this forum but I'm
not aware that anyone knows.  I nievely tried scoping the mains through a
high-pass filter, but there's just stuff triggering the scope anytime the
coil is running, even when shorting the probe with the ground clip.

For measuring output power, I don't know how to get a quantitative result.
You might be able to get a good qualitative result by passing the secondary
base current through a small light bulb and monitoring heat or light for a
time-averaged value.  Yeah, I got light bulbs going off in my head a lot
lately ;-)

Regards, Gary Lau
MA, USA

On Sun, Jul 25, 2010 at 8:06 PM, Joe Mastroianni <joe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> That's a great question.  Wonder if I could just slap a scope on it and get
> it to trigger/store on glitches...
>
> I'm also wondering - after all these years of coil making that people have
> done on this list - what's the best way to measure output power?   I mean,
> we have subjective streamer length.  But I'm messing around between 240bps
> and 120bps and gap size and phase, etc.  I can hear differences and see
> differences, but frankly, it's hard to really get anything quantitative
> without an actual side by side comparison.  I run at 240 bps and then the
> exact same setup at 120 bps (by removing some electrodes) and I gotta say,
> at times they look the same - and maybe they are depending on how out of
> tune I am, etc.
>
> It would be nice if I could just measure and tune output power.  I do the
> usual, wait for the safety gaps to fire and back off a little.  But there
> are times I can have the variac on full power w/o the safeties firing
> (because the timing and tune are perfect) and then try the same thing with a
> tiny difference, and pow.  Safeties firing at 3/4 voltage.
>
> So, this qualitative measurement stuff drives you toward lots of error
> prone trial and error.  Maybe that's just "the way it's done", and frankly
> I'm ok with that if true (My wife says I must secretly wish my coil is NEVER
> working right, so that I can keep twiddling with it.)
>
> But if there's a better way, I'd like to know.  Like, I have some field
> strength meters.  Perhaps I could set those up at some distance while
> running?
>
> Cheers,
> Joe
>
> On Jul 25, 2010, at 3:02 PM, Brandon Hendershot wrote:
>
> > I'd be really interested to find out exactly what's going on in these
> house wires that's wreaking all this havoc... Is there any sort of
> instrumentation or test equipment I could put in-between my coil and the
> outlet? Or is it as simple as a few amp/volt meters reading out?
> > Brandon
>

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