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My Tesla Coil isn't working...Solved

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Cookieworks

Sat Nov 26 2011, 03:44AM

Registered Member #4229 Joined: Sat Nov 26 2011, 03:19AM
Location: Somewhere in the State of Michigan
Posts: 20

I have a tesla coil set up in the following fashion:

http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/imagenes_tesla/tesla17_02.gif

The transformer is a 5.5KV NST at 27miliamps at 60HZ, the primary is a flat spiral with an inner diameter of 5", outer of about 14", made with 1/8" copper tubing (6.85 turns). The Secondary is 3.5" diameter and 18" tall with 783 turns of 23 gauge wire. I have a MMC capacitor comprised of two lines of 20 caps, each is rated at 500VAC and 0.15 microfarads, adding up to a total of 10000 volts and .015 microfarads.

The problem that I seem to be having is that the spark gap will not fire. I can get a cool arc across the gap if I remove the alligator clip on the outer rim of the primary, and while I remove it from the primary, I get an arc from the primary to the clip until it is out of bounds, at which point an arc appears across the gap again, only to disappear when i replace the alligator clip onto the primary. I have tried everything in my head to fix it and get it to work for the first time, but since it is my first coil, I have obviously missed something somewhere.

Thank you very much to the first person who can figure out what the problem is so I can fix the darn thing and post a video of me zapping my neighbors dog with it on Youtube (not to be taken literally, of course).

-Cookieworks

P.S. If you need me to post a video of what it's doing, just ask. I can do that.

Newton Brawn

Sat Nov 26 2011, 05:59AM

Registered Member #3343 Joined: Thu Oct 21 2010, 04:06PM
Location: Toronto
Posts: 311

Hi Cookieworks !

I have tried to see your schematic. And got a surprize when i click the the http:

""Error 404 - Document Not Found

The requested URL could not be found on this server. The link you followed is probably outdated.

Your attempt to access 4hv.org/e107_plugins/forum/hyperlink was unsuccessful.

Please click here to go to this site's home page
Please click here to go to this site's search page""

A good schematic can help the people help.. Can you publish the information again ?? pdf format ?

Regards

Cookieworks

Sat Nov 26 2011, 09:11PM

Registered Member #4229 Joined: Sat Nov 26 2011, 03:19AM
Location: Somewhere in the State of Michigan
Posts: 20

Just click on the arrow below.

-Cookieworks

Andyman

Sat Nov 26 2011, 11:00PM

Registered Member #1083 Joined: Mon Oct 29 2007, 06:16PM
Location: Upland, California
Posts: 256

You do have your capacitors in series right?
5.5KV is quite small, so your spark gap is going to be very small as well. It almost sounds like you have a short in your capacitor bank.
Do you have a picture of your actual setup?

Cookieworks

Sun Nov 27 2011, 02:53AM

Registered Member #4229 Joined: Sat Nov 26 2011, 03:19AM
Location: Somewhere in the State of Michigan
Posts: 20

Yes. Here is a picture of my capacitor circuit. What you see on the solder points are 20 kilo-ohm resistors. These are in place to let the capacitors discharge after they have been used so I don't get charred to death by a loaded 500v capacitor. Might these be the issue? If need be, I could always remove them.

Cookieworks

Sun Nov 27 2011, 03:03AM

Registered Member #4229 Joined: Sat Nov 26 2011, 03:19AM
Location: Somewhere in the State of Michigan
Posts: 20

Picture one: View of circuitry on back of board

Cookieworks

Sun Nov 27 2011, 03:06AM

Registered Member #4229 Joined: Sat Nov 26 2011, 03:19AM
Location: Somewhere in the State of Michigan
Posts: 20

Picture two: Close up of resistor wiring

Cookieworks

Sun Nov 27 2011, 03:11AM

Registered Member #4229 Joined: Sat Nov 26 2011, 03:19AM
Location: Somewhere in the State of Michigan
Posts: 20

Picture three: The entire system of capacitors

Cookieworks

Sun Nov 27 2011, 03:20AM

Registered Member #4229 Joined: Sat Nov 26 2011, 03:19AM
Location: Somewhere in the State of Michigan
Posts: 20

By the way, that is two lines of 20 capacitors in series. The two lines are in parallel, but the caps are in series.

(like this)

--||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||--

--||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||--

-Cookieworks

Herr Zapp

Sun Nov 27 2011, 06:32PM

Registered Member #480 Joined: Thu Jul 06 2006, 07:08PM
Location: North America
Posts: 644

Cw -
How did you select 20k ohms as an appropriate value for your bleeder resistors? Use Ohm's law to determine how much of your 27ma power supply current is being burned up in heating your bleeder resistors. A more typical bleeder resistor value is 10-20 megohms, not 20 k ohms.

Also, since this is your first Tesla coil, please post all your coil's the design parameters (ideally from JAVATC or some other Tesla coil design tool) to make sure that the coil can be brought into resonance. A few photos showing details of the primary and secondary coils, topload, and spark gap would be helpful.

Herr Zapp

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