Re: [TCML] DRSSTC tuning at high power

[Michael Twieg <mdt24@xxxxxxxx>]

Hi Finn, good to hear your thoughts too.

On Fri, May 20, 2011 at 3:41 PM, Finn Hammer <f-h@xxxx> wrote:

> Michael
>
> A lot of unknown factors have been mentioned as reason for your coils
> relative lack of performance, you mention tuning yourself, and I think
> the problem lies there:
>
> You don't have a tuning problem, you have a design problem.
> As I see it, the 4 rings with which you attempt to represent a sphere is
> only what they look like: 4 rings. The toroid has for decades been the
> standard for toploads, and you should get one before anything else.
>
Right, we are working on this now, but will probably be a month before the
toroids are done.

> Daniel Uhrenholt and Myself built coils that can be tuned in real time,
> to investigate tuning points better. We are both toolmakers, so we can
> make these things, and we are not the methodical types that go back and
> forth a zillion times to adjust tapping points.
> With the RAT (Realtime Adjustable Teslacoils) coils, we can watch the
> effect on the primary waveform, while tuning the primary in one
> uninterrupted sweep.
> On the "Thumper" coil, where there are 4 primary turns, the notch only
> appears when tuning within approx 10cm of the primary. It is a very
> narrow window, and I know we had probably never found it without the RAT
> coil.
> But once dialled in, we can increase power and decrease the primary
> frequency accordingly, and keep the notch!
> So, to answer your question, yes, your waveforms look allright, but you
> have not yet found the sacred notch.
>
I can totally believe that 10cm of turn length makes the difference.  With
our system, we generally  tune by moving around the cables from the bridge
to the primary.  As in not changing where they tap onto the primary, but
just shifting their paths and spacings from each other.  Just a few inches
of movement is enough to lose it completely.  I really want to move to
something closer to thumper with rotary taps (but not motorized).  The thing
is we have a flat spiral primary so it's a bit trickier, and the arms have
to be longer.  Finding mechanical guys who are up to these kinds of
challenges is proving difficult.

But that aside, I don't think the issue we're facing is that the primary
tuning is off.  At low power, we are able to find the notch without too much
trouble, but at high power we're completely unable to get it, no matter how
finely we adjust it.  That's why I suspect there's something else going on,
like premature streamers.

-Mike
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