- Joined
- Oct 24, 2008
- Messages
- 1,057
- Points
- 48
LOL, Anyone wanna be Moe? :na:
Yeah be careful with HV! I've been bitten by an NST before, thankfully only on one hand, and it SUCKS! Make sure you UNPLUG the thing before you go near it. Don't trust your life to a switch. You're correct NSTs will not hold a charge (Unlike my ZVS driver).
Nice score on that NST TJ. That will make a great ladder. If you have any trouble getting the arc to start climbing, as Things pointed out can happen with lower current HV supplies, you can make a gabriel electrode for it. Basically it's a third electrode positioned at the midpoint of the V. Connect the third electrode to one of the HV terminals with a 1M ohm high wattage resistor.
Since the third electrode is attached via the resistor to one of the HV terminals it will float up to the same potential (voltage). A spark will form in the small gap from the third electrode to the adjacent HV terminal. Once current starts flowing the resistor will cause the voltage to dip on the gabriel electrode, and the spark will arc out over the whole gap. It works perfectly. I used it when I made a Jacobs ladder with my 9kv 30mA NST.
More info:
Make a Jacobs ladder.
-Tony
Yeah be careful with HV! I've been bitten by an NST before, thankfully only on one hand, and it SUCKS! Make sure you UNPLUG the thing before you go near it. Don't trust your life to a switch. You're correct NSTs will not hold a charge (Unlike my ZVS driver).
Nice score on that NST TJ. That will make a great ladder. If you have any trouble getting the arc to start climbing, as Things pointed out can happen with lower current HV supplies, you can make a gabriel electrode for it. Basically it's a third electrode positioned at the midpoint of the V. Connect the third electrode to one of the HV terminals with a 1M ohm high wattage resistor.
Since the third electrode is attached via the resistor to one of the HV terminals it will float up to the same potential (voltage). A spark will form in the small gap from the third electrode to the adjacent HV terminal. Once current starts flowing the resistor will cause the voltage to dip on the gabriel electrode, and the spark will arc out over the whole gap. It works perfectly. I used it when I made a Jacobs ladder with my 9kv 30mA NST.
More info:
Make a Jacobs ladder.
-Tony
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