Re: [TCML] Trying another coil after 42 years

[Gary Lau <glau1024@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Bill.

Welcome to this great hobby.  Others may use the word "obsession"...

I'm not sure I understand the motivation and constraints of your upgrade
plan.  Are you trying to use your old primary & secondary coils, for
nostalgic reasons?  Are you specifically aiming to use solid-state
technology rather than spark gap technology?  If someone simply wanted to
build a 6" tall coil, I'd recommend a simple small NST and spark gap, but it
sounds like you may have additional requirements/constraints.

555's are not typically used in Tesla coils, except when driving CW flyback
transformers.  CW coils have unimpressive performance as compared with
disruptive (spark gap) coils.  Where did the 45KHz figure come from?

The power needed for a 6" tall coil?  How high is up? ;-)  But seriously, an
NST to power such a small coil might pull roughly 50-100W.

Regards,
Gary Lau
MA, USA

On Fri, Oct 1, 2010 at 7:54 PM, Bill Washburn <billwashburn@xxxxxxxxxxx>wrote:

> I'm retired at 63 years of age after 40 years of computer systems analysis.
>
> My BS is in applied mathematics after starting out with two years in the
> physics program.
>
> I am now still doing my ham radio and studying physics.  As you may have
> guessed many things have changed in 40 years.
>
> Now I'm closely following the CERN LHC particle synchrotron in Switzerland.
>
>
>
> When I was a youngster I built a small Tesla transformer with an old
> Model-T
> spark coil and a capacitor made of a piece o glass with tin-foil
> electrodes.
>
> The primary was two inches or so in diameter and the secondary was one inch
> or so at about six inches in height.
>
> It performed well.
>
>
>
> I'd like to recreate this same coil but with a 555 timer source or some
> other small AC source.
>
> The old glass and wooden stuff would go but the same general size of 6" x
> 6"
> would stay the same.
>
>
>
> Can you tell me (on the heavy side to allow for mistakes) roughly what
> power
> in watts at about 45KHz (or whatever frequency you would recommend) would
> be
> enough for a toy like this?
>
>
>
> Thanks so much, Bill Washburn
>
>
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