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My mini Tesla coil






Time for some pics and a vid showing my good SGTC in action.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UIAGrwwl74&feature=channel_page[/media]
VIx005.jpg

VIx009.jpg
 
You can't really feel high frequency ac. so it should be like nothing at all, but it is dangerous...
 
charleytown55il said:
what are the specs on that giant vacuum tube?
Click to expand...

It's a russian GU-81m, graphite plate power penthode that was used in URSS tanks I suppose as RF final stages.

datasheet there: http://www.g8wrb.org/data/Russian/GU-81M.pdf

I'm running it a bit overspec, but with a good ventilation it can take more than the rated 600W peak heating for pulsed use... It's a really hard to kill tube, some friends in italy have taken these to even higher working powers without any problem at all, even if the tube's plate was going to look more yellow than red.

It's also rather cheap there, about 25€ to get one of these monster from a local surplus seller... nice, cheap and damn powerful tube :)
 
hey Coherent, ive seen the tesla kit you have on amazing1, did you buy it from them directly?

I am really interested in trying one of them out, but what concerns me is shipping prices to Australia :-/
 
Nice Coherent!! It looks like you got that one form here

I recommend looking here for info on how to make them. There is a calculations page that helped me out ALOT!!!

The transformer is probably the most expensive part. I lucked out and found a neon shop by my house that sold me a 12kV 60mA transformer for $15!!! ;D

Back in day neon signs were powered by these big metal transformers. But now neon signs are being driven with solid state HV drivers. So you can sometimes find a neon shop that is willing to get rid of the older transformers for cheap.

eBay is the only other place I know of to get them. They're kinda expensive and shipping is too. These things are heavy.

The ultimate transformer! Behold the power of a Pole Pig! [smiley=evil.gif]
Good luck finding one! HAHAHA!
Transformer.jpg


-Tony
 
I was working for a restaurant a few years back and when they moved to a new location I went digging around an old attached storage area and found a broken "Frozen Yogurt" neon sign. They were gonna have most everything sent to the dump so they didn't care if I took the transformer :D

Free 7.5KV 35mA NST 8-)
 
Xplorer877 said:
Nice Coherent!! It looks like you got that one form here

I recommend looking here for info on how to make them. There is a calculations page that helped me out ALOT!!!

The transformer is probably the most expensive part. I lucked out and found a neon shop by my house that sold me a 12kV 60mA transformer for $15!!! ;D

Back in day neon signs were powered by these big metal transformers. But now neon signs are being driven with solid state HV drivers. So you can sometimes find a neon shop that is willing to get rid of the older transformers for cheap.

eBay is the only other place I know of to get them. They're kinda expensive and shipping is too. These things are heavy.

The ultimate transformer! Behold the power of a Pole Pig! [smiley=evil.gif]
Good luck finding one! HAHAHA!
Transformer.jpg


-Tony
Click to expand...
You should make a huge SGTC with that pole transformer. I bet you could get 10-15 foot discharges :o
Not sure if your neighbors would like seeing something like that in your front yard though. Either they would think it's really awesome or they would call the cops.

Btw what's the actual output of that transformer? I'm guessing something like 15kv 1A?
 
Things said:
hey Coherent, ive seen the tesla kit you have on amazing1, did you buy it from them directly?

I am really interested in trying one of them out, but what concerns me is shipping prices to Australia :-/
Click to expand...
I bought it from them directly. Yeah, now I know that the kits are a bit overpriced, but it was a quality kit and a good way to learn about making Tesla coils. If I want to make a bigger one in the future I'll probably buy the secondary/nst/toroid/capacitors on ebay and make the rest myself.
 
Make a video where you hold a bug in tweezers up to the one of the streamers [smiley=evil.gif]
 
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