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From: brandenberg@star.dec.com (bleakness...desolation...plastic forks...)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Tesla coils
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Date: Tue, 9-Dec-86 00:47:03 EST
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Posted: Tue Dec  9 00:47:03 1986
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> Matt Giger (tektronix!reed!shadow) asks about tesla coils...

A tesla coil is simply a series resonant circuit with an
autotransformer's primary winding used as the inductive
component.  Near resonance, the circuit's "Q" produces a
substantial voltage across the transformer.  As for
references, the University of Missouri at Kansas City
once had a copy of Tesla's laboratory notes prior to his
work in Colorado (available on loan).  I also have plans
for a tesla coil.  These were purchased from an outfit
called Huntington Electronics, Inc.  ( Box 9 Huntington Station,
Shelton, Conn 06486 [copyright 1965] ) sometime in the late
'70's.  The plans are for a six foot tesla coil capable of
three foot discharges.  The difficulty in constructing such
a coil is the prevention of dielectric breakdown and the
generation of a high-voltage, high-current variable frequency
power source.  If you're interested in building a less
ambitious coil, my description, basic network synthesis, and
engineering "common sense" will suffice.  If you're simply
interested in the history, you will have some work ahead of
you:  Tesla's notes from his Colorado Lab were (as I recall)
seized by the Government at the time of his death and those
that weren't given to the Czechoslovakian Government are
still sealed away.

				Monty Brandenberg