Re: Well, I know what's wrong - My brand new NST fried!!

[Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>]

OOUUCH!!!

I too am a "customer" of the 'new NST' market.  I know all to well the work
needed...  

My, you are a fine intelligent young man!  Why don't you own this place??....  


I am the largest Northern Colorado researcher in 'neon sign transformer
technology'!  I am surprise you lost our file!!  Here is my personal visa card,
just charge it here for now....

Tax exempt number...,  Geeez I can never remember that stuff, just add the
tax.  Our fine governor needs it anyway...

I'll take 10 of them 15/60's, just load them in the trunk of our corporate Ford
sedan, with the baby seat, out there...  Do you want me to pull it up to the
loading dock next to the Kenworth?...

Well... It is actually good that it is solidly dead and that it is a new NST. 
The short is probably very local and easy to fix once you get at it.  I think
you will have to melt off the tar using one of the various methods and then
your will be "home free".  NSTs are very basic transformers and the problems
are obvious.  Probably a burnt out sedcondary wire or secondary short that is
easy to fix...  This was no doubt caused by over voltage or high frequencies
getting to the transformer.  I will point to my protection filter (albeit post
mortum) at:

http://users.better-dot-org/tfritz/NSTFilt.jpg

It protects against over voltage and high frequency damage.  An input line fuse
is also recommended for total protection of the NST.

Very sorry you are having a hard time in this "hobby".  I hope your were
looking forward to more than the "typical" challenge ;-))

Cheers,

        Terry




At 07:59 PM 8/22/00 -0700, you wrote: 
>
> Thanks to the kind advice of someone who told me to test both sides of the
> NST for a short, I found one side barely produced a spark.
>  
> To say I am disgusted, is an understatement. This is the same disease I
> always dealt with is the NST's frying and is what made me stop coiling for
> two decades. It's exactly what I wanted most to avoid in coiling and well, I
> think I will be trying a safety gap design.
>  
> All may not be lost on the NST tho, I have it in the freezer and am going to
> freeze it and then run  it for 20 minutes and depot the thing.
>  
> I also heard I could just put it in the oven and possibly melt the short IF
> it is in the tar. Trouble is, I don't remember how long or at what
> temperature to cook it. Anyone know.
>  
> If I go ahead and depot the thing I am hoping I can remove the shunts and get
> some more current out of it.
>  
> Maybe depotting will help prevent lessen the chance of future frying.