Re: New Gap Idea

["Gomez ADDams" <gomez-at-netherworld-dot-com> (by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>)]

on that fateful day 8/21/00 9:01 PM, Tesla list uttered:

> Original poster: Hollmike-at-aol-dot-com
> 
> In a message dated 8/21/2000 10:45:39 AM Mountain Standard Time,
> tesla-at-pupman-dot-com writes:
> 
>> 
>> Original poster: "Sam Beck" <Sam-at-peterbeck-dot-com>
>> 
>> Hey, how about this static gap design...picture a long threaded rod
>> of, say, some sort of plastic.  Now you start at the bottom with a bolt,
>> and add a brass washer of rather large diameter.  On top of that you add a
>> plastic(or mica maybe) washer of small diameter, and just repeat.  You
>> terminate with a bolt and attach to your tank circuit from the ends...
>> Feedback, anyone?
>> 
>> Sam Beck
>> 
>> 
> I made one just like what you describe from a ceramic bolt(and nut), brass
> washers and mica spacers.  I doubt it would work with very high power, but it
> worked great for the little coil I made for my sister.  The coil was only a
> 50W powered unit, but it made only a sizzling sound from the gap.  I kept
> adding washers/spacers until it wouldn't fire and then removed the last one
> so it would have the highest possible tank voltage.

 The key is to experiment.  Unless it's something that has been well tried
and dismissed by most of this list, you should build it and try it out!

 As Richard Hull has said many times, you will learn (and accomplish) far
more by experimentation (take notes) than any amount of theorizing.

 Example: a friend of mine, who has no electronics education whatsoever, but
who is fascinated by Tesla coils and loves to tinker, tried putting a chunk
of quartz in between the electrodes of his little static gap, just to see
what happened.  It increased the output of his coil by a factor of 2X.  My
theory is that the surface helps cool, and thus quickly quench, the arc.

 Mind you, this was a lousy TC design, and probably isn't even in tune, but
it helps to illustrate just how critical a good gap is.

 - Gomez

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