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Registered Member #2463
Joined: Wed Nov 11 2009, 03:49AM
Location:
Posts: 1546
To answer the first question posed about old stereo set transformers--
i heard that you can connect it in series with the mains and short out the other side of the transformer to make a ballast. This a bad idea, because what you are doing is trying to operate the transformer at a percentage of rated line voltage where rated current will flow, and beyond that the smaller wire in the primary will just try to set the insulation alight before fusing.
And , because it has been removed from its operating environment, protection such as overcurrent and flame arresting screening will be gone too.
Registered Member #3610
Joined: Thu Jan 13 2011, 03:29AM
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 506
Well you have to differentiate between a permanent installation and a temporary lashup or short duty cycle. If you are just running something for a few seconds or a few minutes on the bench, you can push many components far beyond their ratings without problems. Most transformers can tolerate being heavily overloaded for short periods.
Registered Member #3766
Joined: Sun Mar 20 2011, 05:39AM
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If he wants to build a speaker, It will probably be on for awhile, so a low voltage transformer as a ballast would probably be bad. A MOT might be a better option, I know quite a few people use them.
@waldosan, if you mean what I think you mean with the two cages then yes, but If you keep the electrodes far enough from the cage it shouldn't be much of an issue.
I still don't see why you'd use mains, you can probably power it off your computer's power supply, or modify another supply (things are a dime a dozen), this will limit the current itself, and be less likely to kill you.
If you really want to use mains for some reason, i think the best thing to do would be to use a 1-1 transformer to isolate it and limit the current some at the same time, and make it safer through galvanic separation, and then use a step down transformer and rectify. But I'm a bit of a safety freak. I don't like even small chances of dying.
and for what it's worth about the ozone thing, the guy who invented the plasma speaker whose name escapes me at the moment died of ozone poisoning from continued exposure. Granted, the levels he subjected himself to were probably much higher than a standard plasma speaker... but still, better safe than sorry. On a similar note, the pioneers of xrays died of overexposure, and we still use xrays all the time. Be safe about it and you'll be fine.
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how do i make a good ballast?
