More power please.

I just picked up this Potential transformer. It is 70:1 ratio, 8400v primary, and 400va. This is a smaller version of a "Pole Pig" the big gray cylinders you see on top of power poles. This will give a large Tesla coil what it needs to really put on a show. They are deadly and would not ask permission to kill you if you make a mistake with them.

Solid State Tesla Coil SSTC

This is the future of Tesla coils the SSTC or solid state Tesla coil. Gone is the roar of the spark gap and the heavy weight of the neon sign transformer. From this point they get more complex to build and the sparks get bigger.

Changes to the WC coil

As with every Tesla coil the tuning process is bound to bring change to the setup. This coil has been a bear to tune. The top load had to be changed and the spark gap needed 4 additional electrodes added. I've been testing it in the morning and it sounds like a jet taking off. My eyes have a slight case of flash burn from the UV light coming off the spark gap and my throats a bit sore fom all the ozone I've been breathing in. I love this hobby.

The WC Coil

I've been working on this coil for a few weeks and it has gone through one design and now it has incarnated into this. I have tested the output on this coil and it's very nice. Building coils has kept my mind busy and I'm thankful to have the resources to build them. Evita came up with the name for the coil, can you guess what WC stands for?

Red Laser in morning Geeks take warning.

I was gifted a 5 mW He Ne (Helium Neon) laser yesterday. I have been researching holography and wanting to put together a holography table . I now can do this. The beam from the He Ne laser is not very visible to the eye but a nice little fog bank in the Low Country this morning made for a fun testing time. Thanks to my Geek friends.

Bi cone Tesla Coil

I have been reading a lot of Tesla's work and early on he experimented with cone shaped secondary coils. This is an interesting configuration and has come into particular interest regarding the generation of powerful electric arcs, as opposed to the generation of long electric arcs. Since Tesla's goal was to transmit power through the atmosphere he was primarily interested in generating intense electromagnetic radiation. The larger windings at the bottom of the secondary are able to absorb the most current from the primary, while the tapered format linearly increases the voltage in a proportional amount according to the electromagnetic falloff according to the distance from the primary. These conical coils often had no top load capacitor, and relied on the internal capacitance of the coil itself. This experiment clearly shows the distributed parameters in the components. I have built a Bi cone coil and have just started testing it. So far the results are impressive and will warrant further study.

I love the smell of ozone in the morning.

Even though Teslas polyphase AC system spans the world today, a different invention, the Tesla Coil, never saw commercial use. The Tesla Coil is the most awe inspiring electrical device, transforming ordinary power into high frequencies at tremendous voltages. During his brief period of poularity Tesla with his coil created spectacular displays of live electricity, such as the 1893 Worlds Fair in Chicago. Tesla coils are still hand made by passonate Coilers following in Teslas footsteps.

I discovered the Tesla Coil in 2006 while reading a book about Tesla and his inventions while on vacation in Charleston SC. When I returned back home in Atlanta, I began building a Tesla Coil. Several weeks later, I powered up the coil. My son by my side we threw the switch that not only fired up the coil but also a passion that thrives on in my heart. The Tesla Coil was so awe inspiring, with its shattering roar and streamers of purple plasma writhing in the air. I was in love