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Registered Member #2664
Joined: Sat Jan 30 2010, 03:27PM
Location:
Posts: 12
This is my first post. Please excuse any errors. Thanks.
I have always had an interest in HV and always wanted to build a TC since I was young. I would love a large one but it's not really practical where I live so a small one, especially my first, was in order. I read and read here and settled on Peters (TDU) briefcase SGTC. It's simple, small and extremely portable.
It uses a 5kv, 20ma neon sign transformer. 3.5" x 7.5" secondary, 10 turn primary, double copper tube SG with 0.025" gaps across each and three banks of two 30KV 1000pf caps. The secondary RF ground is the same as the mains with no problems at all. I also did not use a safety gap. I borrowed a filter from an old microwave oven for the mains to transformer connection. It is almost the most basic SGTC I can imagine.
I don't know how Peter can interact so easily with his briefcase SGTC, mine stings the crap out of my hand when I tried. LOL.
Registered Member #2664
Joined: Sat Jan 30 2010, 03:27PM
Location:
Posts: 12
I have not tried a MOT yet in a TC. This was my very first TC build. I do have a nice jacobs ladder with a 12K NST though. I was hoping for a very interactive coil but this one isn't so interactive IMO. A MOT isn't current limited as far as I know so another MOT as a ballast would be required correct? Also my mini MMC isn't set up for MOT output. Maybe a second briefcase coil is in order with a MOT now that I got the TC concept down.
Registered Member #1225
Joined: Sat Jan 12 2008, 01:24AM
Location: Beaumont, Texas, USA
Posts: 2253
Very neat coil . That is good performance, especially considering you used those little ceramic capacitors. I have never had anything but trouble with them even in non-tesla coil related duty. They just dislike high current.
I would not recommend a MOT, especially for a little coil. They are heavy indeed. You would need a ballast unless you planned to pull something like 2kw or whatever the MOT is limited to (they are limited, just not very well). You would have tons of current and pretty low voltage. That means a high capacitance bank, though it could be low voltage. The main problem is that the voltage is too low to effectively break down a spark gap. Even if it somehow did break down well, it would probably still be rather ineffective, the spark gap would heat quick and assorted things.
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Briefcase SGTC --- 1st build ever --- copy of TDU's awesome work
. That is good performance, especially considering you used those little ceramic capacitors. I have never had anything but trouble with them even in non-tesla coil related duty. They just dislike high current.