Re: [TCML] New Sucker Gap

[Gary Lau <glau1024@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Miles,

As far as digital stuff not working, I've not seen a problem using a digital
camera.  I've only had trouble with things having wires (antennas!) coming
out of them, like digital meters.  But as always around Tesla coils, YMMV.
Is your light meter digital?  Any wires coming out of it?

The photo of the gap firing is very nice!  So that was a film shot, not a
digital camera?  That only two arcs appear is not surprising, as the camera
is correctly sensing a very bright exposure, and setting the shutter speed
to a very fast setting.  So with a very short exposure, it's only capturing
two or so bangs.  A longer exposure would have shown more, but the rest of
the photo would have been overexposed.  I'm impressed that it figured it out
as well as it did!  I take it that you're accustomed to seeing sparks
occurring all around the circumference of the electrodes, rather than just
two points.

Regards, Gary Lau
MA, USA


On Wed, Sep 15, 2010 at 7:32 PM, Miles Mauldin <teslamiles@xxxxxxx> wrote:

> Hi All,
> I have an observation and a question for you all.  I rigged up a dummy load
> using the Halogen lamps to test my primary circuit and the right cap size.
> The
> load works great and provides a visual aspect to power levels, however, I
> have a
> couple of issues.  Neither my light level meter nor my digital camera work
> when
> the primary is energized. Bummer.  I did setup a dark box for measuring the
> light at different power input levels (lamps on top, meter looking up, with
> ventilation).  Meter reads zero, but as soon as I start raising power,
> before
> the gap fires, it reads 57 Lumens.  Yet it is stable when directly
> connected to
> the variac.
> I do have my fav 35mm that I used to photo my new sucker gap, albeit really
> old
> film that I happen to have on hand.
>
> My observation is that my digital stuff doesn’t work when the primary
> circuit is
> active.
> My question is; I am a bit disappointed how the sucker gap appears when
> firing.
> Should I expect more?
>
> Looking at others photos it appears the gap is very bright.  Maybe that is
> because the photos are at dusk, or night. But I would have thought I would
> have
> more than a single or dual spark in the gap.  AM I wrong?
> http://www.cmnow.com/TeslaMan/Sucker/tn12.htm
> Thanks,
> Miles
>
>
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