Hi, Terry, Steve et al-
Yeah, it's fun to be back at it tho I have other distractions (as I have
always had). Steve, what you write kind of goes along with my thinking
(which is fuzzy since my BSEE was granted all of 62 years ago...). My
take on long sparks:
1. A spark-gap-type coil can make longer ones than a SR-type because the
1st-quarter-cycle rate of rise of secondary current can (in
practicality) be made much larger. So large that the rate of current
flow into the top load, from the secondary coil, will well exceed the
rate of flow outward into the spark. It would take a lot more primary
current than I could provide to reach that required rate of rise. In my
prior version I noticed that when I would increase the burst length the
sparks would get fatter but not appreciably longer--the length having
been mostly determined by the breakout-potential of the 3" toroid radius.
2. I have been thinking that a way to make my sparks longer will be to
add capacitance to the top load. In the form, I expect, of a large
metal "gazing ball" just perched on top of the toroid. Its radius
being greater than that of the toroid, sparks will continue to break out
only from the latter but there will be the "reservoir" of charge
residing on the gazing ball instantly available to push them along a bit.
Fuzzy thinking or?...
Off now to enjoy a recital this aft. in my ladyfriend's in-house
concert-venue (Historic Register house). A good crowd expected:
50-odd. My distractions, & very welcome ones...
Ken Herrick
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