Updated 09-22-2003
The
latest run...floor-to-ceiling arcs!!
Look closely and
you can see where the arc forms a "spider web" from hitting the ceiling
in the upper right-hand corner of the animation, a nice floor strike, and
a white-hot blast to the garage door. All the time the garage door
opener (black box at top) hangs precariously above the magnetic mayhem.
THE
NEWEST RUN - 
THE
LATEST WORD -
- NEW!
NEON SIGN
TRANSFORMERS -
ORIGINAL 12,000 VOLT / 120 mA
NEW 9,000 VOLT / 450 mA (Oops!...better make that 490mA)
PLANNED 20,000 VOLT / 450 mA
CAPACITORS
-
SALT WATER MAKES 13nF
HOME-MADE LDPE MAKES 24nF
MULTIPLE MINI CAPACITORS (MMC) 34 - 82nF
MMC RECONFIGURED FOR 133nF
SPARK GAPS
-
ORIGINAL RICHARD QUICK STYLE (RQ) GAP
FANCY LEXAN DISASTER
26 ELEMENT GAP ON CERAMIC FLOOR TILE
4 ELEMENT WATER COOLED GAP
PRIMARY
COIL -
45 DEGREE PRIMARY
FLAT (0 DEGREE) PRIMARY
SECONDARY
COIL AND TOROIDS -
6.275 X 24 INCH PVC
8.500 X 34 INCH PVC - THE LATEST VERSION - NEW
MY TWO
CENTS -
- NEW!
SOME
RAMBLINGS AND THOUGHTS AFTER BUILDING AND
MODIFYING THIS COIL OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS
COIL PERFORMANCE - W/ PHOTOS
- 18 INCH RUNS (THE EARLY TRIALS)
- 40 INCH RUNS (MAXIMUM WITH 45 DEGREE PRIMARY)
- 51 INCH RUNS (FLAT PRIMARY MORE TOP LOAD)
Sorry
no pix - 60 INCH RUNS (MMC ALLOWS MORE SPARK GAP)
- 67 INCH RUNS (9,000 VOLT/450 mA NST ADDS MORE "BANG")
-
HALLOWEEN 2001 RUNS NEW 8.5 X 34 SECONDARY
- OR -
Click on pic to see more from that stage of coil development
Questions
or Comments? 
me!
A little
bit about me -
Sister
pages - DIY Homebuilt Welder -
- 1967 Chevelle Malibu Restoration/Customization -
- Coming Soon
- Corvette Racing /Performance Upgrades -
- Coming Soon
- CRX B16A Hybrid, 160HP in 1800 lbs of fun -
- NEW!!
SOFTWARE
Download
THE Tesla Coil Designer Version 3.0 .zip file (121k)
Revised
1/31/2000- A calculation program I originally downloaded from the net.
I added many new calculations. Additionally I added some calculations
concerning building hybrid or saucer primaries. The 1/31/2000 Revision
should make calculations easier by showing possible conflicts with conditional
formatted cells, so you can instantly see how changing components affects
this system. Also, I added a MMC capacitor calculator and several
comments to help guide the user through the calculations. Check out
Ross-O's
page for a "lite" version that doesn't require as much computing power.
Note:
Mike Hammer recently reported trouble downloading the .zip file with NS
Navigator. If you experience this trouble, generally characterized
by a file that is only 6-8KB instead of the normal 121KB, the .xls file
should work for you.
LINKS
All you ever wanted to know about
TC's, and then some! (mostly by guys who know what they're talking about)
Some free downloads, great instructional "how to" texts, etc. General
operation and advanced theories are discussed on this list.
The Tesla-2 Mailing List -
Never constructed a Tesla Coil...Curious
about what you would need? The best advice is to try the Tesla-2
list and get some of the basic questions answered. Remember...there
are generally no set "Plans" for a Tesla coil. They can be made from
relatively common components found in most hardware stores. If you
need step-by-step instructions, you DO NOT need a Tesla coil! You
will be much better off (and safer) to do some research into coil operation
and build one from your own knowledge...start here.
Ross-O's Coil
- A guy working on a coil with
similar dimensions and power levels as mine. So you know his TC has to
be great, too! Check out his pulse cap for making "small change"
Also, a true master of Lexan!
McMaster-Carr Supply Co.
- If you're having trouble with
local supplies, aluminum "dryer duct" toroids, copper tube primaries, copper
ribbon, sheet plastics, these guys have (almost) EVERYTHING.
SETI@Home
- OK, OK, I know this has
nothing to do with Tesla Coils, but if you're tired of that idiotic "flying
windows" screen saver, you may want to check out the SETI@Home site, download
their screen saver, and join the largest distributed computing project
launched to date. When your computer is idle, (ie. screen saver comes
on) it will start sifting through actual data captured from the radio telescope
in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, and performing calculations to determine if there
is any intelligent pattern to the data. Check it out! They
explain in much more detail than I can here. And if your computer
acquires an actual confirmed intelligent signal, can you say "NOBEL PRIZE!!"
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THE BASEMENT