[TCML] Re: Grounding NSTs (Special Case?)

[Brandon Hendershot <brandonhendershot@xxxxxxxxx>]

Something else I should mention, since I have no way of installing a real
ground rod, I use a counterpoise as the RF ground in my system.
Everything else in the coil is finished and ready to run, as soon as we
resolve where to ground the NST's (if anywhere (I read that leaving the
NSTs ungrounded causes permanent damage)) I can fire it up for the first
time. Hope you guys can come to the rescue again ;)

Thanks,
Brandon H.


On Tue, Apr 30, 2013 at 11:06 AM, Brandon Hendershot <
brandonhendershot@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Hi All,
>
> I know this topic has been beaten like a dead horse, but I can't seem to
> come to agreeance with the final verdicts in the archives.
>
> I know that the NSTs should NOT be grounded to safety/third prong ground
> since that would inject tons of lovely RF into mains and since the operator
> shouldn't come into contact with them for any reason during operation,
> grounding them there wouldn't be any more beneficial than at RF ground.
>
> My only qualms with tying into RF ground is that any strikes to a target
> or strike rail would connect the HV streamers to the core of the NSTs.
> Nothing about that sounds particularly pleasing in my mind.
>
> So, I'm wondering if the NSTs need to be grounded at all. My NSTs are
> situated out of reach of both the operator and any secondary streamers.
> (While I feel this may also be an asinine assumption,) I don't see any need
> for a ground in this situation.
>
> Hope someone can clear this up for me
>
> Thanks much,
> Brandon H.
>
>
> P.S, I'm thinking about following another list members advice and using
> coaxial cable to connect the NSTs to the spark gap and connecting the
> shielding of the coax to RF ground to protect the NST's secondaries from
> any secondary strikes. My concern with this is similar to what I just
> mentioned; any strikes to RF ground would be connected to the coax
> shielding. I don't know that I trust the insulation in the coax (which has
> gaps/cracks from what I can see) to stand off the voltage of the TCs
> output, let alone the 7.5kV from the NSTs.
>
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