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Registered Member #3515
Joined: Wed Dec 15 2010, 03:05AM
Location:
Posts: 11
Hi all - as indicated in my previous post about caps (thanks for the responses) I am designing my first coil and trying to come up with a shopping list for components I don't have on hand.
Of course the design depends on what size of NST(s) I can find. Considering what is typically discussed here, I have surmised my desired coil is rather small. Hopefully around 1000 watts. I have a good friend in the sign business looking around for me, he doesn't do neon but sometimes they do large signs for various businesses, and he thinks there might be some older transformers in their scrap heap from displays they have torn down. Of course I greatly desire what seems to be the Holy Grail of spark gap Teslas, one or two of 15KV 60ma non gfi protected NST's for free. But I am not holding my breath.
I have also found that they are readily available in the modern gfi protected versions (which I see are generally discouraged) and a couple vendors that make them purposely for teslas (expensive). Long story short I "had the idea" to do this when I was working in my shop the other day on another expensive hobby and realized that I have many of the parts for a decent coil. So part of the fun for me will be building one with maximum performance and safety with minimal expense.
I came across these on ebay
Are the 2 12KV 30ma allanson NST's appropriate for a coil? I did a little research, I don't think they are GFI protected? The price seems ok, and the 2 together would give me a theoretical 720 watt push. Good performance for a first coil if the design is right?
Maybe another source for NST's? It's been a lot of fun researching all this, amazing how much of the basics I have forgotten since college....
Registered Member #3505
Joined: Sun Dec 12 2010, 06:03AM
Location: Albuquerque NM
Posts: 108
2x12Kv/30ma will be just fine. Remember what most people consider as small is a Flyback. If you look at the thread about my Litz wire SGTC. I'm powering that with 2x 15Kv/30ma's and I'm getting around 36". So I guess what I'm saying is you'll be pretty happy with the 12K NST's and that price is semi competitive. I've paid from $25-55(shipped) for the 15Kv's. The most important things for NST is to build a Terry filter with a good safety gap in my opinion. I killed a couple till I built one and haven't had a loss of life since .
Registered Member #3515
Joined: Wed Dec 15 2010, 03:05AM
Location:
Posts: 11
Well look at those bad boys.... Hmmm. Tempting, I could go with just one and simplify the design. They are not GFI protected? I looked at Jefferson transformers site and they don't come up - they must be NOS. Maybe I'll buy 2.
"small" yes indeed, I guess I was looking at some of your projects and was being self deprecating.
Registered Member #15
Joined: Thu Feb 02 2006, 01:11PM
Location:
Posts: 3068
Hi Jim,
Thanks for the email today. Just wanted to point out that you did mention you were interested in an audio modulated Tesla coil,such as the ones Arc Attack uses. For those types of coils, you will need a solid state Tesla coil, such as a DRSSTC. A spark gap coil cannot be easily modulated.
If you are still looking to build a spark gap coil, i do have some 14.4kV Potentional Transformers available which can put out about 200mA or so. Perfect for a Tesla coil.
They weigh about 100 lbs each, but I have some co-workers which travel frequently up to your neck of the woods and they could easily bring one up with you when they go up.
If interested in the potential transformer, contact me offlist. Thanks
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Are these appropriate transformers?
