Miles,
By using the input variac as the control you are only "indirectly"
controlling the power - by altering the input voltage to the pig. A better
way, assuming you run 100% at the moment when it suits you, is to vary the
power directly by running with full variac but varying the ballast value
instead.
With any external ballast there is always going to be a favoured mH value
(sweet spot) that combines with the MMC value to give resonant charging, and
by altering the ballast setting instead, you can hopefully vary it to find
the best performance point. (Assuming your ballast covers the correct range)
See Richie's webpage at http://www.richieburnett.co.uk/async.html
He posted on TCML about it as well in June 2001, but that post has dead
graph links that the post references to, but a complete verbatim copy with
his original graphs also included can be found here:
http://www.hvtesla.com/richie.html
I've used the system for years
Regards
Phil Tuck
www.hvtesla.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Tesla [mailto:tesla-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Miles Mauldin
Sent: 06 August 2015 02:33
To: Tesla Coil Mailing List
Subject: Re: [TCML] Variable Ballast
I picked up a Lincoln AC 225-S Variable Voltage ARC Welder. Big heavy
clunker and runs in 220 V.
Questions:
This unit has a selection of 11 settings, is this the type of unit most of
you use?
Is there a formula other way to know the amperage of each setting, or do I
need to just start on the lowest setting and measure?
Basically I use the welder on a fixed setting most of all of the time and
vary the coil power with a variac, correct?
Best!
Miles
Sent from iCloud on a little Device with a tiny keyboard...
> On Aug 3, 2015, at 10:52 AM, Buds tape mail <bud@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> Hi all,
>
> The toroid is 14.5 inches on the ring diameter and the main diameter is
56" dia. The secondary......with the toroid.....and with a 10' leader off
the toroid all resonate at 53 khz. Tested for this last night! The toroid
was built using foam panels 3.5" thick. Very similar construction as
spelled out in HVTESLA.COM . I put 1/4" ply on the top and bottom
sides of the inner toroid. Filled the gaps with foam and spun on an axle of
2" PVC right thru the center. This allowed me to spin the whole unit
between two picnic tables with my 1/2" drill using a variac . I smoothed
the foam ring now rough as all get out with a 90 deg. grinder with a very
aggressive sanding disk. The foam was all over me! Not a project for
indoors as the foam is now all over the yard and blowing everywhere. Wife
is not happy......go figure! The a layer of spackling was applied and later
sanded to just smooth the rough foam out. Then primed with stain blocking
primer. Then a layer of fib
er glass was applied all over.....this was to add surface strength as the
foam is very soft and dents easily. Then another layer of spackling and
then sanded smooth. This is where doing body work came in handy! Then
primed again and then a layer of aluminum tape was added for the final
finish. This thing looks like it was turned on a lathe!......well it was
sort of! The 1/4" ply gives me the base I needed to support the toroid and
to mount the upper terminal to.
>
> The cool thing is the toroid is not real heavy. 50-60 lbs.
>
> The entire unit was assembled yesterday and stands around 10' tall. Yes I
have plenty of room to get it in and out of the barn.
>
> Does anyone know the address for the Teslathon at Roger's in Chillicothe
this coming weekend? Got the invite from Roger but not the address. Is
anyone else going?
>
> Bud Mohrman
>
> -----Original Message----- From: Phil
> Sent: Saturday, August 01, 2015 4:16 AM
> To: 'Tesla Coil Mailing List'
> Subject: Re: [TCML] Variable Ballast
>
> Bud,
> This sounds like a very interesting coil being created! What size minor
dia'
> toroid are you using and is it SRSG or ARSG, 120/240 bps?
> Don't forget to post a YouTube link
>
>
> Regards
> Phil Tuck
>
> www.hvtesla.com
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tesla [mailto:tesla-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Buds tape mail
> Sent: 31 July 2015 13:22
> To: Tesla Coil Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [TCML] Variable Ballast
>
> Hi Phil and others, I have been reading thru your web site and Richie's
> very thoroughly. I have built a 12" X 51" secondary #18 wire and have
> finished a 56" toroid and will have this thing ready to go very soon. I
> have a rotary spark gap (copy of Ed's in Rochester) and a 14kv pole pig.
I
> have been reading extensively about primary inductive ballast. I do have
> two 225 amp buzz boxes I could use in parallel as ballast like others have
> done. I understand the principle series on the primary side limiting the
> power to the pig.
>
> I saw how and why you wound your own ballast. My question is
> this........can we just use a very large welding transformer........say
400
> amp unit as the ballast while shorting the secondary or should we just
bite
> the bullet and wind a huge ballast from an older transformer with a huge
> iron core? I have my own machine shop.......... www.tape-inc.com
> ..........and can do almost anything once I know what it is I need to do.
I
>
> think most of us do not know the how and whys of ballast design.....you
know
>
> the core size min/max and wire size min/max for a pig of this size.
>
> Bud Mohrman
>
> -----Original Message----- From: Phil
> Sent: Friday, July 31, 2015 5:16 AM
> To: 'Yurtle Turtle' ; 'Tesla Coil Mailing List'
> Subject: Re: [TCML] Variable Ballast
>
> Jon,
> The modern cheap import ones you see knocking about are generally not up
to
> the job for a pole pig, without getting pretty hot during use. I melted
and
> shorted the windings of one a while back while running @ 10.5kv / 400mA -
> (hardly pig output) simply because I left it running for several minutes
> (they normally have a thermal cutout to disconnect the mains input during
> normal use)
> Their duty cycle is very low sometimes, especially as Yurtle mentions, if
> Alu' conductor is used; also the resulting voltage drop from lossy
windings
> gets multiplied up by the pig, so you could potentially be losing 0.5kv at
> the worst case.
> Winding your own ballast is a better option.
>
>
> Regards
> Phil Tuck
>
> www.hvtesla.com
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tesla [mailto:tesla-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Yurtle Turtle
via
>
> Tesla
> Sent: 30 July 2015 20:52
> To: GENE GARRAGE; Tesla Coil Mailing List; Tesla Coil Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [TCML] Variable Ballast
>
> I got a 225 amp Lincoln welder at a garage sale.It was old enough to have
> copper windings. I chose to short the welding leads internally, and
> eliminate the cables.
>
> From: GENE GARRAGE via Tesla <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
> To: Tesla Coil Mailing List <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Wednesday, July 29, 2015 6:53 PM
> Subject: Re: [TCML] Variable Ballast
>
>
> From: Jon Danniken <danniken@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: Tesla Coil Mailing List <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Thursday, July 2, 2015 2:28 PM
> Subject: Re: [TCML] Variable Ballast
>
>> On 07/01/2015 11:14 AM, Miles Mauldin wrote:
>> Do I need to find an old welder, or will an inexpensive new one work
>> just as well. Read many posts about shorting the secondary and using
>> the primary in line with a pole pig. Thoughts, ideas or suggestions
>> all wanted for a variable ballast.
>
> You can get an old 220V arc welder for cheap on craigslist if you are
> patient, less cheap if you are not patient. As a bonus, you also get a
> welder.
>
> Jon
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