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Registered Member #1733
Joined: Thu Oct 02 2008, 03:17PM
Location: Hamilton, ON, Canada
Posts: 100
That's sweet. I've designed a small PCB for this (from your schematic) and doubled everything for left/right audio channels. I have 2 shelf speakers with a thick aluminum case that I'm going to gut, the flyback will fit nicely in it.
If you had 4 flybacks, add a small cross-over and 2 boards, you might be able to clean-up the fidelity. I have all the stuff to do a L/R setup. I may just start this tonight...
(PS - hope you don't mind me being somewhat of a copy-cat, but they say immitation is the biggest form of flattery )
Registered Member #1403
Joined: Tue Mar 18 2008, 06:05PM
Location: Denmark, Odense C
Posts: 1968
Zenador wrote ...
That's sweet. I've designed a small PCB for this (from your schematic) and doubled everything for left/right audio channels. I have 2 shelf speakers with a thick aluminum case that I'm going to gut, the flyback will fit nicely in it.
If you had 4 flybacks, add a small cross-over and 2 boards, you might be able to clean-up the fidelity. I have all the stuff to do a L/R setup. I may just start this tonight...
(PS - hope you don't mind me being somewhat of a copy-cat, but they say immitation is the biggest form of flattery )
Z
I dont mind at all, sharing is caring, and someone did also care for me :)
Registered Member #1733
Joined: Thu Oct 02 2008, 03:17PM
Location: Hamilton, ON, Canada
Posts: 100
MadsKaizer wrote ...
I dont mind at all, sharing is caring, and someone did also care for me :)
Do you get around to make this stereo setup?
Partially...
The dual board is complete, and I've been playing with different caps on the positive audio feed to get the cleanest signal without loosing too much amplification from the source. That has been so-so, I think I'm going to build an audio amplifier to compliment it.
My biggest hurdle has been driving the flyback to get my desired results. I found some old 30V/60VA transformers that can run from mains, and I'm about to go test them. If they pass, I have some full-wave rectifiers for the setup and smoothing caps.
I'm also looking at modifying the case/setup for each speaker. From a thermal point, the HV is heating my wires beyond what the insulation can take. Not a big deal on a work bench lashup for testing, but prolonged use will pose a problem. My preliminary design for encasing the arc provides little ventilation. Once I get the final output right, I'll look at the case issue.
Registered Member #152
Joined: Sun Feb 12 2006, 03:36PM
Location: Czech Rep.
Posts: 3384
Zenador wrote ...
MadsKaizer wrote ...
I dont mind at all, sharing is caring, and someone did also care for me :)
Do you get around to make this stereo setup?
Partially...
The dual board is complete, and I've been playing with different caps on the positive audio feed to get the cleanest signal without loosing too much amplification from the source. That has been so-so, I think I'm going to build an audio amplifier to compliment it.
My biggest hurdle has been driving the flyback to get my desired results. I found some old 30V/60VA transformers that can run from mains, and I'm about to go test them. If they pass, I have some full-wave rectifiers for the setup and smoothing caps.
I'm also looking at modifying the case/setup for each speaker. From a thermal point, the HV is heating my wires beyond what the insulation can take. Not a big deal on a work bench lashup for testing, but prolonged use will pose a problem. My preliminary design for encasing the arc provides little ventilation. Once I get the final output right, I'll look at the case issue.
Z
Some things to consider: If you left the speakers powered for long, there might be enough ozone and other gases produced making the air in your room become unhealthy. If you're building it into a nice enclosure, why not make a better modulation driver? If you go from a 8-pin chip (555) to a 16 pin one (SG3525 or KA3525), the sound quality and volume can improve a lot, because the IC can do frequency modulation (let me know if you want some info or schematics) and it also has a built-in FET gate driver.
Registered Member #1733
Joined: Thu Oct 02 2008, 03:17PM
Location: Hamilton, ON, Canada
Posts: 100
Dr. Kilovolt wrote ...
Some things to consider: If you left the speakers powered for long, there might be enough ozone and other gases produced making the air in your room become unhealthy. If you're building it into a nice enclosure, why not make a better modulation driver? If you go from a 8-pin chip (555) to a 16 pin one (SG3525 or KA3525), the sound quality and volume can improve a lot, because the IC can do frequency modulation (let me know if you want some info or schematics) and it also has a built-in FET gate driver.
Thanks for the advice. I learned that building and running my SGTC generated nifty looking streamers and nasty side effect gases. I'm not planning on replacing my workshop stereo speakers with the plasma/arc ones. Yet ;)
I saw the specs you posted for the SG based driver board in another thread, printed them and added it to my list of things to build and learn. The key word is learn, which is why I chose the 555 option first. Smaller and simpler circuit, easier to figure out and learn on. Playing with different components on that board (changing the audio in capacitor to various voltage and capacitance values as an example) allows me to understand what it's doing, verify the audible results with my OScope (which I'm still learning to use... :) ). Small steps for me...
For gas issue - has anyone considered containment? Picture a standard test-tube, HV at the top, common at the bottom, completely sealed. This could be evacuated, pressurized, neutral... The leads and the glass by the leads can all be heat sinked. Maybe this has been done already, I just had that thought pop into my head... Hmmmm - more things to try...
Registered Member #152
Joined: Sun Feb 12 2006, 03:36PM
Location: Czech Rep.
Posts: 3384
Zenador wrote ...
For gas issue - has anyone considered containment? Picture a standard test-tube, HV at the top, common at the bottom, completely sealed. This could be evacuated, pressurized, neutral... The leads and the glass by the leads can all be heat sinked. Maybe this has been done already, I just had that thought pop into my head... Hmmmm - more things to try...
I tried that once with a tesla coil spark gap and it simply stopped working after a while. I think the gases produced increase the breakdown voltage, which prevents discharge.
Anyway, if you sealed a singing arc, what would be the purpose if you could hardly hear it?
Registered Member #1733
Joined: Thu Oct 02 2008, 03:17PM
Location: Hamilton, ON, Canada
Posts: 100
Dr. Kilovolt wrote ...
I tried that once with a tesla coil spark gap and it simply stopped working after a while. I think the gases produced increase the breakdown voltage, which prevents discharge.
Anyway, if you sealed a singing arc, what would be the purpose if you could hardly hear it?
See, that's kind of contradictory to what I understand. Ionized air conducts an electrical charge better than non-ionized air. Hence the quenching requirement on a SGTC. Removing the ionized air forces a break in the discharge, making the primary oscillate. No quenching can result in a constant arc, which means the electricity flows form the NST, MOT, or other PSU into the SG, that's the shortest path, at least on my build.
As for the sound loss, true, there would be some. But 1mm non-tempered glass should not absorb that much. That makes more sense if the tube was evacuated, and yes I know I suggested that. So lets pressurize it with nitrogen. Normal air is what, 70% nitrogen? That's what ionizes. Logically (in my head, which doesn't mean I'm right) a tube pressurized with 70% or more nitrogen would ionize nicely. Because the arc is vibrating under pressure, that vibration "should" pass directly to the glass encapsulating it, and in turn, produce sound waves in the surrounding air-space. Think about putting a drinking glass to a wall to hear things in another room. Drywall/sheet-rock absorb some of the sound, but the glass appears to amplify what is not absorbed.
Granted one would not use this as primary speakers for a home theater, but it would allow someone to demo the build at length without posing health hazards to spectators...
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Thurday late night audiomodulated flyback :D
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