Measure it with one of these:
http://www.harborfreight.com/clamp-on-digital-multimeter-95683.html
Clamps around the power lead and reads out the amps. You can get a bunch of
old electric stove elements if you want to make a load.
Dave
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tesla [mailto:tesla-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
> Miles Mauldin
> Sent: Friday, August 07, 2015 16:50
> To: Tesla Coil Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [TCML] Variable Ballast
>
> Thanks for the info Phil! Good read on design considerations
> and tuning for a specific output power. This is the unit I
> picked up
> "https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BxWKI1NpSt8YfjVHT3V4dWJuRVR
> BVDNGaURKUGpfYTAzUU1jQWtheW5najVUT1RURUFBYkU" not sure how
> this link will work....
>
> Although the Richie article was definitely worth the read and
> saving, my question is how do I determine the values of each
> setting on the welder? Is it related to the current level
> when used as a welder, is there a formula?
>
> Cheers!
> Miles
>
>
> Sent from a tiny device with a tiny keyboard via some cloud...
>
> > On Aug 6, 2015, at 8:46 AM, Phil <pip@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >
> > 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
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