Spark Gap Tesla Coil - Power Supply and Capacitors

Hey Everyone,
I hope you all enjoy this video as much as I enjoyed building and designing the thing itself! There will be a few more videos coming out about this tesla coil because I felt like making multiple videos that illustrate the build process rather than one that just shows off the end result. I've always been very entertained by build processes. Also, I know this is not a very educational video, but that is because I want to leave the teaching to the experts listed below. They have made very in-depth videos on this topic, so I highly suggest checking out their videos as well if you are interested in high voltage! Please feel free to leave any questions you have about the MOTs or the MMC in the comments below. Stay tuned for more videos about the primary coil, secondary coil, and lots of high voltage tests!
-Mac
Special thanks to these channels for all the inspiration and lessons:
DiodeGoneWild: / @diodegonewild
Styropyro:
/ @styropyro
LabCoatz: / @labcoatz_science
Music credit:
Jon Baptiste - Born to Play

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Glad I could help on your journey into the high voltage realm! I'm sure part two will be a big hit. Thanks for the recognition at the end there, I'll take second place to "Mom and Dad" any time, lol!

[@BackMacSci]

Lol I'm glad you understand the tier list 😂

[@WaffleStaffel]

Haha, that intro was beautiful. Great job, can wait to see part 2.

[@BackMacSci]

Thanks man! I'm looking forward to making it!

[@gearscodeandfire]

I'm really enjoying binging here earlier stuff right now, bravo man

[@BackMacSci]

Thanks Dan! I always hoped someone would like my stuff so much and binge all my oldies😊

[@gearscodeandfire]

@@BackMacSci i'm sure I'm not the first, but I will make sure to bomb your comments more so you know I'm doing it, you know, to model the behavior :)

[@natuhaysertkaya3391]

Oh i missed your videos a lot. By the way like the jazzy tunes as the background music

[@manishapadmawar372]

You're finally back!!

[@Waveydonkillah]

Very underrated page, love the experiment! Subscribed.

[@BackMacSci]

Thank you very much!

[@EthanDyer]

What genuine and funny also engaging even informational video your effort is appreciated my friend

[@BackMacSci]

Thank you for your thoughtful words! :)

[@paulcasey5755]

Great video man, I’ll be waiting to see part 2!

[@beginnereasy]

Kids doing science is the future

[@ashtenakemoto3528]

beautiful

[@dadecky5276]

that is sick

[@BackMacSci]

thanks! i have a new video showing how to complete the building process coming out tomorrow!

[@honeybadger2371]

I knew that spark gap looked familiar lol

[@thomascontet4883]

Hi ! Really cool video, I've just seen part two but I still have one question about your MMC. I guess you used the formula C = I rated/(2π * V rated * frequency) But how did you measure I rated ? It must be different than what's written on the MOT because you are using a ballast ( but the thing is I don't quite get how inductive ballast works yet). Any welp would be appreciated 👍

[@BackMacSci]

Hi Thomas! I'm glad you liked the video! You can buy a device called an ammeter to measure the current being drawn by the tesla coil. Most of what you need to know about an inductive ballast for tesla coils is in this video. I hope that helps! kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKCUhYyErLydgNE

[@OrenHargil]

Which capacitors did you use??

[@AnimanJain]

He back 🔥🔥🙏🙏

[@BackMacSci]

Animan! 😎I am!

[@sujithsubash8123]

Can you give the capacitor buying link?

[@BackMacSci]

Yeah I can! The capacitors have gone up in price, but here is the link: www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/cornell-dubilier-electronics-cde/942C20P15K-F/1929490

[@hullinstruments]

Testicle or Tesla coil..... They both hurt badly if they get damaged

[@BackMacSci]

😂

[@brendanliegey9258]

How many watts is ur soldering iron?

[@kytkinpommiracing]

💀

[@nicklee8907]

I have seen diagrams online that use some sort choke on the HV side to protect from back emf (?). I was wondering if you considered this and what your thought process was behind including/excluding it. Thanks

[@shamanking5195]

is the EMI filter wired to the input power ??? what size bleeder resistor did you used ??? I'm looking for capacitors , the 15k capacitors you used , seem to be unavailable. any suggested replacement ??? do you have a good source for capacitors ??? Thanks.

[@BackMacSci]

EMI is wired in series with the input power, i used 1Megaohm, 1W bleeder resistors, you can use these capacitors but you’ll need to wire them together differently to make a 45 nF MMC : www.aliexpress.us/item/3256802731782973.html?srcSns=sns_Copy&spreadType=socialShare&bizType=ProductDetail&social_params=20802194008&aff_fcid=1acb08e301d9492f91719e4dbb6af610-1674627601628-05913-_mNKGFnC&tt=MG&aff_fsk=_mNKGFnC&aff_platform=default&sk=_mNKGFnC&aff_trace_key=1acb08e301d9492f91719e4dbb6af610-1674627601628-05913-_mNKGFnC&shareId=20802194008&businessType=ProductDetail&platform=AE&terminal_id=121a42d3352340728d01413f64ecb578&afSmartRedirect=y&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa4itemAdapt&_randl_shipto=US

[@theVHSvlog]

Hey man, great work! When you wired the MOTs in series, did you disconnect the secondaries from the iron cores? I have 3 MOTs I'm trying to stack but I've already ruined several by trying to isolate the cores

[@theVHSvlog]

Re-watched the video closely and looks like you kept the secondaries connected to the core. I'll do the same!

[@timetojit8917]

Are u continuing the series

[@BackMacSci]

uploading tomorrow!

[@DinosaurSb]

Hypeeeee I your neighbor btw lol hehe hewwow

[@BackMacSci]

YOOOO Dan on KZbin

[@MrMartinswan]

Great video!

[@BackMacSci]

Thanks! Check out my new tesla coil video, I like it even more!

[@MrMartinswan]

@@BackMacSci I'm build the power. Pack now

[@MrMartinswan]

I need your email again please! Getting some electric connectors soon possibly some help with the wires / I have 5 x 20kv 10 nf capacitors/ little bench grinder for spark gap

[@BackMacSci]

@@MrMartinswan Nice! it's [e-mail]

[@MrMartinswan]

@@BackMacSci ok sent you some photos of my Tesla coil build dude let me know if you received them ok

[@Chemanic1]

Would a crt tv flyback work for this? Also where did you get the capacitors? Where ever I look they cost like 50 dollars.

[@BackMacSci]

A flyback would work, i've seen videos of people doing it but idk how. I got the capacitors from digikey but yes they were expensive, like $5-$6 each

[@trevercole4644]

What does the bleeder resistor do?

[@BackMacSci]

it converts the dangerous charge stored in the capacitors into heat once the tesla coil is turned off. without the bleeder caps, the capacitor bank could give you a nasty or lethal shock if you touched it after turning the tesla coil off. thanks for the question!

[@rava6607]

boi its either my brain isnt working or the transformer diagram doesn’t make sense i mean it does obviously but someone pls help

[@BackMacSci]

What part doesnt make sense. I can try to explain it

[@pranavramesh4888]

and part 2 never came

[@BackMacSci]

Yeah... I'll edit it eventually...

[@jmoney5097]

@@BackMacSci did the dual capacitor array work? I think I'm going to try that kind of array out myself, but i dont want to mess anything up

[@BackMacSci]

@@jmoney5097 Oh yeah it worked great. I didn't space out the capacitors enough though so sometimes they would arc between each other.

[@truongthanhnguyenphuc9437]

Can you give me the parameters of that capacitor?

[@BackMacSci]

100 pf for Cdg and 9.4 nF for Cgs

[@truongthanhnguyenphuc9437]

@@BackMacSci Thank you, I am trying to restore it but we are not skilled enough

[@solarsynapse]

200,000V $200 capacitor bank? I thought 3 times the transformer voltage was good, in your case 20,000V is plenty. 2700nF? I thought 50 was good.

[@juntendo6104]

Not bad! If I was you and had only 5 MOTs, I'd use 4 in series and 1 for ballast though. The orientation of spark gap is questionable. I'd oriente them upwards so that the hot plasma from the spark gap rises upwards and quenches plasma. You should also install fan to quench better because otherwise, it will only run for few seconds.

[@BackMacSci]

i considered using that MOT configuration too, but I saw styropyro had to put the transformers in oil to prevent secondary-self-arcing that occurs at that voltage, and i didn't want to deal with oil or replacing the transformers. and i actually do have a fan installed!

[@royalblues5485]

3:59 “testa coil” 🤣

[@ancientlink0]

What was the voltage rating of the resistors

[@samykamkar]

Lol @ intro, great vid

[@BackMacSci]

Thanks Samy! And hey! You were a proper youtuber back in the day!

[@mistertheguy3073]

Hypee

[@mistertheguy3073]

Sick shit man

[@BackMacSci]

Thanks Mister!