Tesla Coil Build Thread

[ped]

Guys when quoting a post, try to remove the images, it makes for a lot of unnecessary scrolling.

Ped

 

[Down with Umbrella]

Thanks nospin. Well alittle update, nothing too exciting.

before I noticed the spark issue I tested out the Xenon tube. Inside the tube small white arcs danced around the bottom of the tube where my fingers were as I bravely inched closer to the coil then I felt quite the discharge jolt. i did not drop the bulb but it was sort of unpleasant. I didn't get the results I was expecting like you have in your video sigurthr but I know the tube isn't damaged. Maybe I need to hold it closer or lower in relation to the top load. Too much closer and I will be in strike range.
I'll give it another go when I'm back up and running.
I'm still in the process of applying layers of polyurethane to the racing spark affected sections. Ive elevated the secondary a hair and will see how it goes.

 

[Sigurthr]

Glad to hear the Xe tube is fine. Because SGTCs run a relatively low duty cycle they'll have a lower power efficacy in lighting up tubes. Get to know the safe "no strike" range around your coil, then inch in gradually to find good spots. You'll basically be trying to couple the tube to the coil relatively far away from points of streamer breakout. When you get to play with a SSTC one day you'll see that tube really come to life.

 

[USAbro]

Or a slayer exciter, big inefficient sstc good for the tubes.

 

[Down with Umbrella]

A SSTC wouldn't be a bad idea. A small coil might be more managble in an apartment setting since there is no loud spark gap and less damage to electronics. I need to continue to read up on Solid state theory.

Have you got that transformer back USAbro?

 

[Polonium210]

Here is a small solid state coil I built last weekend

 

[Down with Umbrella]

wow polonium210, this isn't your first rodeo, I like how you have everything neat and organized but it must have been a challenge to work in such tight quarters.

Questions: I see a lot of solid state coil top loads with break out points. Is that because they don't have as defined streamers at powerful SGTCs or is it just a coincidence as i look at photos?

 

[Polonium210]

wow polonium210, this isn't your first rodeo, I like how you have everything neat and organized but it must have been a challenge to work in such tight quarters.

Yes it was a challenge to fit it all into a psu case

Questions: I see a lot of solid state coil top loads with break out points. Is that because they don't have as defined streamers at powerful SGTCs or is it just a coincidence as i look at photos?

Solid state coils require a breakout point or the primary current will ring up too high before the topload can dissipate that energy.

 

[USAbro]

Yeah my dad gave it back to me the other day so I've been testing the caps. What I think I'm gonna do is (not leave it on the table!) going to take all the caps out of the milk crate their in, and put them in a a larger water tight container filled with saltwater up to their necks, but I gotta pick some morton salt up on Sunday when my dad goes to Sams Club. Will that do the trick.

 

[Sigurthr]

Nice clean build there Po210!

@DWU Yeah, SSTCs without breakouts tend to ignite themselves before long.

 

[The Lightning Stalker]

That is sweet! +2 PSU case builds are my
favorite.

Yeah my dad gave it back to me the other day so I've been testing the caps. What I think I'm gonna do is (not leave it on the table!) going to take all the caps out of the milk crate their in, and put them in a a larger water tight container filled with saltwater up to their necks, but I gotta pick some morton salt up on Sunday when my dad goes to Sams Club. Will that do the trick.

Was that a question.
Pick up some water softener salt, road
salt, or baking soda, whatever's cheapest.
Baking soda is the least corrosive.

 

[USAbro]

I didn't know road salt works cause I have about 100 pounds at my disposal. I never even thought about it haha.

 

[Down with Umbrella]

Ehh I hope you have good luck with that USAbro because I haven't had any luck.

I cannot get the racing sparks off the secondary. I've used all the adjustment I can and it still arcs only on that one side(the first turn on the secondary is about 1/4in above the primary). It's hopeless, I've brought the top load down, Ive moved the secondary up, I unwound part of the magnet wire incase that was acting as a close turn, I've leveled my top load. I added 8 more layers of polyurethane On track locations.
No luck.
I guess I might as well watch it burn and enjoy it while it lasts and rewind my secondary.
$&@;(&

 

[Sigurthr]

@DWU Keep raising the secondary. Aim for 1" above primary height, should be no trace of racing arcs from coupling then.

Racing arcs also come from tuning to a harmonic of the resonant frequency, but it doesn't seem like that's the case from the performance you were getting, who knows though.

 

[Down with Umbrella]

It baffles me too because these sparks race in the same place every time. After I added more poly. I noticed first corona build up at the top of my secondary and from there it would jump down. After it jumped down multiple times the sparks found and opened those repairs I made.
So, I know corona at the top of the secondary is a sign the top load could be too high but ive lowered it significantly and the problem persists.
Furthermore, when I eleveated the secondary to its max performance suffered.( from what I observed, I was mostly focusing on the racing sparks.)
At this point I can disassemble the secondary, take off the topload, heavily coat the secondary again with a thicker sealant and raise the base with threaded nylon nuts to get me more elevation adj.

I did use clean pvc and sand down the lettering. That seems unlikely it could be that.

 

[Sigurthr]

Yeah as you lower the coupling by raising the secondary you keep more power in the primary and less in the secondary. The idea is that racing sparks occur when too much energy goes in to the secondary for how much comes out. Increasing topload capacitance, adding a breakout point, lowering coupling, lowering the bps, etc all lower the likelihood of racing sparks.

Lowering the Toroid helps to suppress corona (which provides a breakout), but you can get racing sparks without any corona.

If all else fails you'll need to make a new secondary, preferably longer (as it helps slightly).