Hello Dan,
If your SRSG is running at 240 BPS, and assuming that you have synchronized the spark gap properly without use of the phase controller, I wouldn't bother making an adjustable phase controller. I went to a lot of trouble to make an adjustable phase controller using a big variac and some motor run capacitors to vary the power supply phase to my SRSG motor. Using an optical sensor and oscilloscope, I confirmed that it would provide almost 90 degrees of phase adjustment. To my great surprise, it had no discernible affect on the streamer length or quality. A few others have also reported this when I mentioned it on an earlier thread. If your SRSG is running at 120 BPS, it might have an affect.
To answer your question though, have you considered using an optical sensor and an oscilloscope, if you have one, to set the firing phase? I used one of those U-shaped optical sensors. I mounted it so that the flying electrodes would pass through the U to break the beam. You can then see the pulse train in relation to the 60 Hz power line on the oscilloscope and rotate the motor until the phase is exact. I used 2 channels on the oscilloscope with one channel displaying the optical sensor output and the other channel displaying the 60 Hz AC power line. Then you just rotate the motor until the pulses align with the 60 Hz sine wave at 0, 90, 180 and 270 degrees for a 240 BPS SRSG. Be sure and use an isolation transformer of some type for the power line input to the scope or you could create a direct short circuit. I just used a small transformer that I had laying around.
To use your automotive strobe light I think you would have to add some electronics to trigger it. Basically, you would need a zero crossing detector on the AC power line which would then trigger a high voltage pulse of sufficient magnitude to fire your strobe light. Remember that an automotive strobe light pickup coil is designed to work with 30 KV spark plug voltages.
Steve White
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
----- Original Message -----
From: "Daniel Kunkel" <dankunkel@xxxxxxxxx>
To: "Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, October 21, 2018 10:37:35 PM
Subject: [TCML] SRSG strobe
I'm getting ready to build my phase controller to control my new SRSG. I
thought I've heard of others use an automotive ignition timing light to
strobe and watch the phasing, but I can't get mine to trigger off a 60Hz
source. Can anyone offer some advice here?
~Dan
Kansas City area
_______________________________________________
Tesla mailing list
Tesla@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
https://www.pupman.com/mailman/listinfo/tesla
_______________________________________________
Tesla mailing list
Tesla@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
https://www.pupman.com/mailman/listinfo/tesla