Re: [TCML] Tuning a Tesla Coil with an Oscilloscope

[Gary Lau <glau1024@xxxxxxxxx>]

It's certainly possible to incorporate a digital readout into a TCT, but
since low-cost DMM's abound with built in frequency counters, it would be
cheaper and simpler to just buy one of them and use it outboard.  Odds are
you'll find it far more useful to have the counter capability not bound to
the TCT, and you'll probably get capacitance and inductance measurement to
boot!.  K.I.S.S.

Regards, Gary Lau
MA, USA

On Sat, Feb 5, 2011 at 7:43 PM, Brandon Hendershot <
brandonhendershot@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Hi Brandon,
> Thanks, that saves me a lot of trouble! I feel rather 'silly' for not
> thinking about it first. I imagine this is a good a place as any to ask; Is
> it possible, well, relatively easy to expand on the TCT design to
> incorporate a digital readout? I'm still in the dark when it comes to
> electronics design...
> Brandon
>
> On Feb 5, 2011, at 11:39 AM, Brandon Garretson <garretsontech@xxxxxxxxx>
> wrote:
>
> >> Hi Brandon (All),
> >>
> >> I think I'll definitely be taking this route. Still one problem though;
> I
> >> have no way of accurately measuring frequency! Can you (or anybody
> chiming
> >> in) suggest some test equipment I should use for this?
> >
> > Using the TCT device, it doesnt matter if you know the frequency at all.
> > You connect it to your secondary with topload and approximate
> > streamer-length wire, then simply sweep
> > the dial through the range looking for the brightest glow of the LEDs.
> > Then, leaving the dial in the "bright spot" from the secondary,
> > connect it to the tank circuit (with the transformer and filter
> > disconnected)
> > and move the primary tap from turn to turn until the dimmest glow of
> > the LEDs is found, then fine tune along that turn, again
> > stopping at the "dim-spot" indicated by the LEDs on the TCT. (Be sure
> > to let go of the tap and step back when you take a reading.)
> > JavaTC will get you close, use the TCT device to verify, then fine-tune.
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