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From: markz@ssc.UUCP (Mark Zenier)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Anyone know about arc generators? `ffzzapp'
Message-ID: <451@ssc.UUCP>
Date: 1 Feb 90 20:19:03 GMT
References: <2813@goanna.oz.au> <5170071@hplsla.HP.COM> <4079@jarthur.Claremont.EDU>
Organization: SSC, Inc., Seattle, WA
Lines: 18

In article <4079@jarthur.Claremont.EDU>, rspangle@jarthur.Claremont.EDU (Randy Spangler) writes:
> 
> But how do you get the high frequency with that much voltage?

There are a lot of turns in the secondary.
Think of a tesla coil as a relaxation oscillator using a spark gap.
When the gap arcs, this drives the primary coil with a abrupt pulse.
This couples into the secondary, which is resonant in the medium wave
frequencies.  

> Also, how high is high frequency for an average Tesla coil?

100 Khz to 1 Mhz, the bigger the coil the lower the frequency.  
In this range, you have the option of interfering with aeronautical
beacons, a maritime distress frequency, and all of your neighbors AM
radios.

markz@ssc.uucp