Re: tweaking

["Nick Slaymaker" <nick.slaymaker-at-lineone-dot-net> (by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>)]

Hi Richard, All

I find this interesting because my first TC was a BT3 kit from Information
Unlimited that has never, of course, achieved the spark length they claim.
They make a big point that the primary tapping point is super critical.

However, I find it very boring to have to move the tapping point, then keep
varying the toroid to ground distance to measure the max. spark; it's such
an approximate procedure and never seems to proceed monotonically.  I would
much prefer to read some kind of meter [as has been suggested recently on
the list].

If I plot the [isolated] primary and secondary resonances, I deduce I need
to tune the primary to one eighth of a primary turn!  This sensitivity
implies that the routing of the primary tap wire is very important.  Of
course, the tuning will be broader when streamers are streaming and the
coils are coupled.

I'm also aware that many coilers build big coils and use a computer to
predict the tap point and basically leave it at that [or set the primary
small signal resonant frequency 5% lower] - it seems to work well but how do
you know you're getting the absolute maximum?

Bob Golding and I recently fired up our big coil and got satisfying 72"
sparks almost straight away.  We mucked about with the tuning a bit but it
didn't seem to make much difference.

Can someone who has solved this uncertainty enlighten me?  Just how much
tweaking do others do and what sensitivities do they notice?  Richard, I've
just noticed you're with Freeserve so I guess you live in the UK; I'm in
Hertfordshire.

Nick [England]

> From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
> Date: Mon, 31 Jul 2000 12:08:18 -0600
> To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Subject: tweaking
> Resent-From: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Resent-Date: Mon, 31 Jul 2000 12:15:08 -0600
> 
> Original poster: "Richard Barton" <richardbarton-at-caving5.freeserve.co.uk>
> 
> Hi all

> If I adjust the tapping from the primary coil, it doesn't seem change the
> output,
> even with half-a-turn of adjusting !
> Richard Barton.
> 
> 
> 
>