I know it was working originally on steel electrodes ok, but consider
changing them one day anyway - steel heats up hot anyway with RF, but
working in a spark gap as well, means double trouble :-)
Phil
www.hvtesla.com
-----Original Message-----
From: tesla-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tesla-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Tim Flood
Sent: 13 March 2014 20:48
To: Tesla Coil Mailing List
Subject: Re: [TCML] Spark Output?
Thanks guys for the suggestions so far.
The electrodes are not copper but 3/8" dia. steel round bar with tungsten
carbide silver solder on one end so four pairs of flat round flats face each
other. These steel rounds are mounted in aluminum blocks and are adjustable.
It could be over time corrosion has developed over time between the steel
and aluminum. I will disassemble and inspect this weekend.
The caps that make up the MMC are new. They checked out OK individually and
as a unit. Is it probable that a number of these caps could break down under
load?
Thanks again and I'm open to any ideas.
Tim Flood
On Thu, Mar 13, 2014 at 3:22 PM, W5als <w5als@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Hi Tim
> This my opinion but I think the cap's are breaking down under
> load. I know they test Good but that doesn't mean they are. Just my
> thoughts.
> Alton
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
> > On Mar 13, 2014, at 1:54 PM, Tim Flood <tfloodrr@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >
> > My old reliable coil's streamer length was gradually diminishing
> > from
> white
> > long sparks to shorter purple sparks and finally purple sparks for
> > about ten seconds then no sparks. Additionally, racing arcs were
> > beginning to occur.
> >
> > The MMC value checked out, all connections checked out, I cleaned
> > and re-connected the dedicated RF ground, etc.
> >
> > The old design utilized two paralleled 9/60 NST, 3" dia. sec. and a
> 3"x12"
> > toroid with a spark gap consisting of four fixed gaps in series.
> >
> > I suspected the transformers so I replaced these with the only other
> > one
> I
> > had, a 15/30 NST. I ran the new transformer, required capacitance of
> .008uf
> > along with the existing secondary, spark gap and top load through
JAVATC.
> > Modifications were then made per the JAVA.
> >
> > The first light of the modified coil only produced a weak purple
> > spark
> with
> > a break-out point. Tuning only served to create racing arcs, with no
> > improvement in performance.
> >
> > Now I suspect the secondary. So, I rewound and varnished the secondary.
> > Same dismal performance as before. Now I'm about ready to loose it,
> > to
> the
> > point I'm explaining this all to my wife.
> >
> > The only thing I didn't touch was the spark gap and gap spacing. It
> > was
> set
> > for .030" for each of the four gaps and I made no adjustment when I
> > switched transformers.
> >
> > Sorry for the long post, but I would really appreciate any ideas.
> >
> > Thank you,
> >
> > Tim Flood
> > _______________________________________________
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> > Tesla@xxxxxxxxxx
> > http://www.pupman.com/mailman/listinfo/tesla
> _______________________________________________
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>
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