Steve,
Thanks for the insight. For some reason I was thinking typical ignition
voltage was in the 10-15kv range, but it looks like you are right, I'd need
a few more KV. I did however try to trigger it with a 12kv NST and that
didn't work.
For now I am using a 3,600 RPM 1/2 HP motor with a 11.5" disc...it is
drilled for 16 electrodes...which is for future growth and pole pig
experiments. For now, I am stuck with my humble NST bank, and from what I
can remember, it seems like 120 BPS seems to be the best option for NST's.
So 240 BPS it probably not an option.
I do have a cheap oscilloscope, but it is not a two channel unit. I do want
to get the phasing dialed in as good as possible to protect the NST bank
from damage.
Thanks,
~Dan
Kansas City area
On Mon, Oct 22, 2018 at 7:15 AM Steve White <steve.white1@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 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
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