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Dr. Dark Current

Tue Oct 30 2007, 04:18PM

Registered Member #152 Joined: Sun Feb 12 2006, 03:36PM
Location: Czech Rep.
Posts: 3384

WhiteArc wrote ...

Hey Jmartis, would you be able to post a pic of how close your antenna is setup etc for your coil, cuz when I put my TC onto a wood stand (crudely made) and using the antenna method, the antenna would arc towards the torroid, then when I adjusted the antenna to be a bit further way, it stopped the arcs but proceded to blow up the fets.

My coil is ~12" high and the antenna is a little bit further than this (from the topload). I found it starts to catch feedback with VERY low voltage on the bridge (few V at most!) so I think I could put it farther away without problems.
Do you have the control electronics grounded to mains earth?

Spedy

Tue Oct 30 2007, 11:34PM

Registered Member #964 Joined: Wed Aug 22 2007, 12:39AM
Location: Stockton, CA
Posts: 134

Good point... an O-scope would come in handy for later projects.... how much do these things cost on average? We don't exactly have $1000's just sitting around doing nothing at ANY time...

Shaun

Wed Oct 31 2007, 12:35AM

Registered Member #690 Joined: Tue May 08 2007, 03:47AM
Location: New Jersey, USA
Posts: 616

I just got a nice Tek 466 digital storage 100Mhz scope off ebay for $300 (parents will pick that up as early Xmas gift).
Thats a lot of scope, though. You will want like a 60Mhz or more, at least 2 channel.

I have seen them go for $50 occasionally, but I have 2 tips for you on buying a scope:

As you are an amateur (like me), you will pretty much HAVE TO buy it off Ebay. Nobody except universities and corporations </exaggeration> buys new scopes; they just cost too much.

DO NOT BUY/BID unless you see the scope turned on with a trace displayed, preferably a waveform. I made this mistake on my first scope and got one with a trace over 1 and a half divs wide! Could not be changed, internally or externally. The CRTs do go bad after so long...

P.S. Try to find one that includes probes

Spedy

Wed Oct 31 2007, 01:03AM

Registered Member #964 Joined: Wed Aug 22 2007, 12:39AM
Location: Stockton, CA
Posts: 134

Thanks for the tips. BTW, what was used to drive the Xe tube in you avatar?

Shaun

Wed Oct 31 2007, 02:02AM

Registered Member #690 Joined: Tue May 08 2007, 03:47AM
Location: New Jersey, USA
Posts: 616

Thats run off my ZVS, about 10W in. Above the lamp, out of the frame, is a 1" dia x .5" NIB magnet, to make the path spiral. I use it cause it increases the firing voltage of the tubes, letting me take full advantage of my 2 .5uF 10kV caps (tube normally fires around 4-5kV, 9-10kV with magnet).

Bauerb2

Wed Oct 31 2007, 02:21AM

Registered Member #973 Joined: Tue Aug 28 2007, 07:32PM
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 66

i bought a 10Mhz Tektronix t912 storage scope for $35 on ebay. dual trace. probe included. works perfectly. its a bit slow if your plannign on viewing freq. higher than 10Mhz, but itt'll do for tc use. always make sure it works before you buy it.

Shaun

Wed Oct 31 2007, 02:47AM

Registered Member #690 Joined: Tue May 08 2007, 03:47AM
Location: New Jersey, USA
Posts: 616

Also, you should remember that any wave other than a sine wave (especially square waves) will have frequency components MUCH higher than the overall frequency of the wave.

For measuring square waves (as you surely will be in SSTC use), you will want a scope good for at least five times the highest frequency you expect to measure, to account for this. So for 1Mhz SSTC, 10Mhz will be great, unless you decide to build a teeny HF coil...

Spedy

Wed Oct 31 2007, 03:17PM

Registered Member #964 Joined: Wed Aug 22 2007, 12:39AM
Location: Stockton, CA
Posts: 134

Hmm... Well, I'm prob going to get it for christmas, so I'll describe what I need to my folks. I saw a really good one yesterday going for $96 but there was 3 mins left on the bid >.<

Ken M.

Wed Oct 31 2007, 06:33PM

Registered Member #618 Joined: Sat Mar 31 2007, 04:15AM
Location: Us-Great Lakes
Posts: 628

jmartis wrote ...

I don't think so I use a PC PSU for the 12v and 5v for he driver eleronics, Actuall I'm almost certain that it doesn't end up onnecting to ground, considering the ground of the secondary hooks to the ground terminal of the power electronics EMi filter.

Spedy

Mon Nov 12 2007, 01:13AM

Registered Member #964 Joined: Wed Aug 22 2007, 12:39AM
Location: Stockton, CA
Posts: 134

Ok, new question: Where to get that 2amp xformer? I can;t find one anywhere near those ratings anywhere...

Edit: nvm, I found a 25.2v 2amp xformer at radioshack that should work. now it's only one more friday till I can order the driver electronics.

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