How to Make Tesla Coil - Small Spark Gap Tesla Coil

[@raymondbivens5787]

Be careful. Those things are addictive. Soon you will want a bigger one.

[@RimstarOrg]

Raymond Bivens I know. I feel the same way. Luckily the noise level restricts me to making only small ones. :)

[@raymondbivens5787]

RimstarOrg​ Have you tried using a zvs driver to drive your flyback? They are more powerful. Just an idea. I got mine over a foot that way.

[@RimstarOrg]

Raymond Bivens No, I haven't tried a zvs driver. Sounds like I should though. One foot is nice.

[@raymondbivens5787]

RimstarOrg​ zvs drivers are easy to build. Just make sure your dc supply can handle 10 amps. Especially if you wanna crank it up. I used irfp260n. They are pretty tough.

[@shauryamani664]

Raymond Bivens RimstarOrg plz define this kzbin.info/www/bejne/anzXkp-laKxlm80

[@RimstarOrg]

+Ereka Bergantinos The high voltage power supply is for making the spark gap work. Air is a very poor conductor of electricity. To create a spark across a spark gap you need enough voltage to break down the air and make it conductive. Why do you need a spark? When the spark discharges it doesn't just discharge straight away. It takes a little time for the air to become non-conductive again. During this time the current is actually rapidly going back and forth between the two sides of the spark gap. The frequency of this back and forth is determined by the resonant frequency of the capacitor and primary coil. Why don't we just have a frequency generator instead? We need this resonating to happen only for a short period of time and then stop for a bit and then repeat again. While it's stopped, the secondary can do it's thing. Using a spark gap is one way of doing that. Another way is to build a different type of Tesla coil called solid state Tesla coil, one that uses more modern electronics. PS. Your comments don't have a reply button because in your Google+ settings you don't have "Who can comment on your public posts?" set to "Anyone". It's a lot easier for me if you set this to "Anyone" so that I can reply to you in the same one place I reply to everyone else.

[@BMan18]

RimstarOrg Do you realize that Tesla's actual transformer used a magnetic quenching circuit across the spark gap to only output unidirectional pulses through his transformer? This way his top load projected longitudinal Aetheric waves with much greater range and power. The sparks, if you have them from the top should be white, feathery, and safe to handle. The blue sparks are corrupted with voltage and are dangerous.

[@shannondove96]

BMan18 who wants a safe tesla coil?? I guess you like really slow sports cars too?

[@RimstarOrg]

At last... here's my How-to-Make a small spark gap Tesla coil video. Enjoy!

[@RimstarOrg]

***** Thanks. And I'm with you there, lots of good physics to learn and play with in Tesla coils. Another great one is a crystal radio.

[@RimstarOrg]

***** I don't have experience with bigger ones... but the same physics would apply though I'd expect that with the higher voltages, more things would have to be taken into consideration. For example, with larger ones with longer streamers there's a chance of streamers from the topload down to the primary coil. In that case a grounded wire or tube is usually put just above the primary coil so that the streamers go to the ground instead. Also, due to the longer streamers the secondary coil would be coated in varnish or some insulator for more protection.

[@RimstarOrg]

***** Hey, that's awesome to hear about your kelvin water dropper! We all stand on someone else's shoulders or get help at some time, so I'm just glad I could pass some along. Of course, you made the effort and got it to work so it's really all on you. Nice work! And re facebook and google plus, I'm here. Cheers, Steve

[@mateipopescu8207]

+RimstarOrg Can i use isolated copper wire (the magnetic wire was extremely expensive so i bought a classic isolated copper wire istead)

[@RimstarOrg]

+Matei Popescu Do you mean use plastic coated wire instead of enamel coated wire (which is also called magnet wire since it's often used for making electromagnets) for the secondary coil? I'm using enamel coated wire (magnet wire.) The actual metal inside is copper. Both types are insulated since they have to be. So if you mean to use plastic coated wire, a quick search didn't turn up anyone doing that. That might be because given the large number of turns needed, it would be much taller, but I'm not sure if that's the reason. So I guess my answer is I'm not sure. If you don't get an answer for sure then you could try running the numbers through the javaTC online calculator I talk about in the video and see what it says. It may turn out to be impractically tall.

[@RobertShaverOfAustin]

I made a Tesla coil in high school, circa 1966. Used a neon sign transformer I found that gave me about 30KV. Wound the main coil on a phenolic tube about three feet tall. Made the capacitor using window glass and a couple of pieces of sheet metal. The whole thing was based on plans in Popular Electronics and it worked great. My favorite thing to do was to attach a wire from the base of the big coil to a burned out light bulb on a broom handle. I'd bring it close to the top and the arc would puncture the glass of the bulb. If I messed around with it long enough, pieces of the bulb envelope would fall out. Could only run it for a few minutes until the ozone small became overwhelming.

[@RimstarOrg]

+Robert Shaver Sounds like you had fun. I'd make a bigger one but this one is loud enough. I still want to try solid state someday, since it's quieter, until I start breaking light bulbs that is! :)

[@RimstarOrg]

+Itz Yash A lot of people make a power supply using a neon sign transformer. I haven't done one myself though, so I can't help further with that type. Other than that and the flyback type that I used, I'm not aware of any other method. There are plenty out there that use smaller power supplies but the result is either pretty weak or the Tesla coils aren't tuned, in which case it's just a normal transformer and not a Tesla coil. Another option is to make a solid state Tesla coil, something I also haven't done. PS. There's no Reply button for your comments because your Google+ setting about who can comment on your public comments is not set to Anyone.

[@snaj9989]

Hey, I can reply. I made my first tesla coil secondary it has 7cm diameter and 47cm lengh. I made it with 0.5mm cable it took 200 meters of that. I don't know calculation is right but it should have ~900 turns. I have problems with capacitors. I am using a ZVS driver with a huge flyback and it gives at least 3 cm spark at 20 volts. But I will use a my hand winded microwave oven transformer for geting 30 volts. I will order full bridge rectifier and smoothing capacitor today. I don't know how much voltage I will get from the flyback. My homemade capacitors are blow up so I will get the same caps that you used in the video. How much capacitence I need. Please reply. (English is my 2. langue so I am sure there is a lot of gramar mistakes)

[@craignehring]

So much fun watching this. I built one based on a 1964 Popular Electronics project ... this was back in 1964 too ... I was almost 14 at the time. That project used a neon sign transformer for the primary supply , a 50' roll of automotive HV spark plug ignition wire with sparkgap, a capacitor made from a picture frame and aluminum foil. The tall coil was #96 magnet wire, I forgot how many turns but it was about 3' tall and 4" wide. Sadly the only coil form I could find at that time was a black soil pipe that looked as if it had been made from coal and the earth, it did not perform all that well, but it did win the science fair In 1964 there were no PVC pipes, acrylic yes, but very expensive, it never occurred to me to use a cardboard tube. The glass pane capacitor is nice to see, the foil is placed about an inch back from the edge and the edge will display a corona when running.

[@RimstarOrg]

Craig Nehring That sounds like you had fun making and watching it. I chose cardboard tubes so that more people would be able to make one if they wanted to, otherwise I'd probably have gone with ABS since I have plenty of that. Awesome winning the science fair. My wins were at the regional level in computers, one of which looked like a 2D plotter but was actually an x/y coordinate input device (this was a few years before the mouse.)

[@Riki0021]

Truly an incredible video, you managed to fit quite a bit of knowledge and a complete build guide into one video, tysm!

[@daveandrews6670]

I,ve seen a few videos on this,yours is the best.You show how to tune one also,which I haven't seen before.I,m going to start making my first one in a couple of weeks.cheers

[@franktallent3]

Thanks for a great vid. This is by far the most insightful & knowledgeable vid yet about Tesla coils for the beginner.

[@LucasWills]

This is the best how to make a tesla coil video I've seen so far, I think I might be able to get my tesla coil to work. 😀

[@RimstarOrg]

+Cedric S I don't get arcs flying off my dome either. My output voltage isn't high enough. Put a needle in contact with the toroid and the voltage at the sharp point of the needle will be strong enough. Basically, the smaller the diameter of the curve, the lower the voltage that is needed for arcs, until you get to the sharp point of a needle, which is a very small diameter curve! PS There's no Reply button under your comment because of your Google+ settings. - go to your Google+ page, - in the top, right corner click on your thumbnail icon, - in the popup that appears, click on "Settings". - for the 2nd question down "Who can comment on your public posts?" set it to "Anyone".

[@lachybrown9699]

The way you have set this tesla up, is it safe to be zapped by it. Please reply soon as posible.

[@RimstarOrg]

Lachy Brown Not all Tesla coils are safe to get zapped by but the current in the sparks from this one is low enough to be safe, unless you have a heart condition. It's doesn't even hurt, just a light tingle. I'm getting zapped in the demonstration with the CFL near the end of the video.

[@ikennaalams3122]

+RimstarOrg Thanks for the education, I like the way you go about it not making any proprietary moves. A request please, I would like that you help out with a kapagen, I am more particular with the details of the connections. Are they the same with the connection of the Tesla coil? Thanks again.

[@RimstarOrg]

+Ikenna Alams (loviyke) You're welcome. Thanks for watching. Re kapagen, I don't do research in that area anymore.

[@draftartmart8069]

Thank you so so much after weeks of research this video has really helped me finish my coil

[@sorsorscience0787]

Ssoooo incredibly helpful. Im on a difficult adventure of making a tesla coil with not too many good materials. This really helps

[@undernetjack]

Submerge the spark gap in mineral oil. It will keep cooler and quieter.

[@RimstarOrg]

+Cedric S That's great to hear that it worked! Thanks for letting me know. PS I suspect you went to your KZbin settings. When you create a KZbin account you also create a Google+ account. In these KZbin comments, put your mouse on top of your user name and leave it there until a popup appears. In that popup you'll see a g+ on the righthand side. Click on that g+ and you'll be taken to you Google+ pages. Then you can follow the instructions I gave: click on the icon in the top-right corner, click on Settings, the 2nd setting down is the one you want to set to Anyone.

[@CedsBritishBrass34]

I think i found it just click left of the text :)

[@RimstarOrg]

Cedric S Yay! That honestly makes it a lot easier for me to reply, given the number of replies I have to do. :)

[@opengreenenergy]

Wow Its wonderful.I will definitely try in future.I have shown it in our college HV lab. Thanks for sharing,

[@RimstarOrg]

DEBASISH DUTTA Cool! Thanks for showing it around. I'm glad you liked it.

[@tcoo1999]

Great video. Very clear, easy to follow and very helpful. Thanks

[@igxniisan6996]

Your mini Tesla Coil is so cute 🥰

[@MongrelShark]

Great video. I've seen a lot of Tesla coil tutorials. This one is the best. I especially liked the adjustable primary and secondary mounts. Might have to make some of them :)

[@RimstarOrg]

Mongrel Shark Thanks! I know you've seen a lot of videos so that means a lot. Yeah, that adjustability and interchangeability has made this a lot easier. I don't know if you noticed but version 4 which I show at 0:23 even has a different secondary coil (using 2nF for the primary capacitance made up for halving the height secondary coil.)

[@MongrelShark]

I don’t know how many times I have set stuff on fire because my cardboard Tesla coil fell down... Its been the death of at leas 3 secondarys.

[@geekoutgalaxy9243]

i made a coil 2 days ago and the same thing happened to it

[@zahariburgess3660]

i used a zvs circuit for the high voltage supply with a flyback instead of building it by soldering it together and it works pretty well

[@duncanmaybee]

How much voltage and amperage would you get if you connected the secondary coil to ground?

[@RimstarOrg]

I don''t know.

[@duncanmaybee]

@@RimstarOrg you should try lol

[@danieljohnson3333]

very nice. I watch every slayer exciter/Sgt videos and this is a great how to

[@michaelt3172]

I just finished mine and its looking pretty good. Im gonna make a new one with a better power supply/transformer later.

[@nathan9063]

You make it look really hard with your calculator

[@nishichemie9282]

Please tell me how to make a slayer exciter Tesla coil.It doesn't use high voltage and it's safe.I don't like to use high voltage.Please tell me how to make a 6v Tesla coil

[@Wolf-yp2qk]

I created the "Slayer exciter" and i got amazing results! I had a 1300 turn coil made from 32 awg magnet wire, with a primary of 18 awg wire and the main circuit, i used a 7$ transistor, one that withstands over 500v dc, i put only 40v dc into the circuit, and got amazing sparks, i could show you the results if you would like to see them, i got lights to light from up to 2 ft away =D. Thanks for reading!

[@heavycurrent7462]

Do you have the video online? Also, what type of transistor did you use? Thanks mate

[@Wolf-yp2qk]

Branden Peter Well, I currently do not have a video up, but I used a 2SC3320 transistor bought from eBay.

[@heavycurrent7462]

Scotlahn Mccallister Thanks! I bought a handful of power transistors from a local electronic store but all of them have burnt out at 12 volt. I guess they can't handle the frequency of my coil. I've got about 1.2k turns. Thanks again!

[@tcmyoda]

You can put a magnet near the spark gap to "blow out" the arc faster and keep it cooler. You can also replace the spark gap with a neon lamp. Again, having a magnet near it causes the plasma to disperse faster.

[@MarkusBlechschmidt]

The secondary coil looks very good. Nice job :-)

[@RimstarOrg]

Markus Blechschmidt Thanks. Coils like that do look pretty neat and satisfying after you've wound it.

[@KyleMakeStuff]

version 5 tesla coil is amazing! Great job!

[@RimstarOrg]

Kman Meteor Thanks! There'll probably even be a version 6 in the next few weeks. The output probably won't be more but the primary coil will be quite different.

[@lookeflite]

In the video, you connected wire household ground to discharge the circuit. Is it safe to connect ground to the antistatic waist wrap that we wear when working with delicate electronics so we won't damage them? Thanks, Roger

[@RimstarOrg]

Roger J. I do it that way whenever I need to ground my antistatic wrist band. Cheers, Steve

[@ZTRfilms]

How do you figure out what uF you need? also would getting capacitors with higher storage capabilities entail more lightning coming off? Thank you

[@RimstarOrg]

For the uF I just started by plugging in what I had available in high voltage capacitors and working everything else out from there. That was literally the first value I plugged into the online calculator (well, I had 4 of the capacitors so I played with a few variations.) From there I think keeping the physical size of the secondary coil small was my next controlling factor. Regarding getting more lightning coming off, and assuming you've done a good job getting the primary circuit resonant frequency close to the secondary circuit resonant frequency, then I'm not sure how to improve that. When I find time I've been trying to eliminate losses at connection points and things. I'm also working on a better spark gap with bigger, rounder electrodes to reduce heating. I suspect a lot of it has to do with the power of the power supply. I guess at some point that would necessitate a larger capacitance for the primary capacitor.

[@ZTRfilms]

thank you very much!

[@EdwardTriesToScience]

I found that calculation was not nescesary unless you wanted it to be super efficient, I just would my coil based off if I think it looks right and after some messing around with the spark gap and input voltage, I got it to make some pretty massive arcs, without a ground wire, jumped into the air directly

[@CedsBritishBrass34]

Hey can you please help me ? When my tesla coil is running i placed a fluoricent ligtbulb near it and it's ligting up but i have no arcs flying off the toroid :)

[@succmrem6579]

So cool! Thanks for the directions!

[@ms88.]

What is the Maine need for plasma on top???, I use mosquito bat circuit (input 9V) and I join top wire of secondery coil in light bulb(220V), so I saw little plasma, how I get more plasma?????????

[@ms88.]

Primary coil (16 gauge - 4 turn) and secondary coil (27 gauge - 480 turns)

[@jaredevans8518]

I made one that is similar, but with a driver circuit from a bug zapper that runs on 3 volts. And I barely see any sparks coming of the top load even thought it works good. I also made the top load out of a spring of 12 gauge copper wire that I made. Could a voltage multiplier work to increase the power?

[@jackbenner1013]

I made this but I used a bug zapper circuit that supplies 400V DC and runs off of 4 D cell batteries. Would I get longer sparks if I instead used a 400V DC power supply that uses more current but connects to the wall plug because would have more power (watts)? Also what would happen if you got both coils to exactly the same resonant frequency, I know that a the voltage on the secondary circuit is like having a kid on a swing but you push the kid at exactly the right time each time, so in a tesla coil if its exactly the same the voltage gets higher and higher each time until it gets so great that it jumps off the needle at the top. So would the voltage off the top load get so great that you could get sparks as long as you want? Or would the sparks just max out at some distance due to the winding ratio of the coils?

[@RimstarOrg]

I'm not sure if a 400VDC power supply that puts out more current would give you longer sparks. I think it would because there would be more energy for the coils to resonate with and it would last longer. If both primary and secondary circuit had the same resonant frequency then that should max out your sparks.

[@hugoperozo4895]

Awesome video. Well done and explained. Thank you for doing this.

[@mohamedasif1680]

hi! ur model was fab... will it lightup a bulb if brought closer to the primary coil?? Please explain me about the power supply used!! how all have you use as a power supply n clear tell other huge elemnts n their role!.. Im interested to do one such model! help me out...

[@RimstarOrg]

+mohamed asif I didn't do any tests for the affect of the bulb near the primary so I can't say. Regarding the power supply, it's this one kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3ypmXWMm9WZetk. It's also here on my website rimstar.org/science_electronics_projects/high_voltage_power_supply_w_flyback_transformer_builtin_diodes.htm

[@mohamedasif1680]

Thanks!

[@MrKiller1250]

my power supply has around 7kv i made it with a yback but i took the yircujt from a fluo bulb and connected one end to the 220v ac and the other end to the primary lf the flyback i plan to make a tesla coil of around 1500 turns and i am wondering will it work ok? and can it be dangerous if you would touch the top load since there shouldnt be much current there? thank you

[@chandraprakashgupta61]

Please tell about the batteries and those two other things from where voltage comes(cube)

[@RimstarOrg]

No batteries were involved. I show how to make the Cube power supply here kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3ypmXWMm9WZetk. The Cube is plugged into a lower voltage power supply which I've documented on my website here rimstar.org//equip/24v_pwr_supply.htm. The red thing is a VARIAC for controlling the voltage going into the low voltage power supply.

[@WayneLambrightIII]

How many volts did this put out? I need to make something that is 100,000 volts or more. low amps. Would this do it?

[@RimstarOrg]

I didn't have any way of measuring it rigorously. Based on the spark length and the dimensions and shapes of the electrodes (sphere and needle), it was likely much less than 100,000 volts.

[@randomperson-vb8xp]

is it bad to have a low value (~200-300 kHz) for the resonant frequency on the java tc calculator?

[@RimstarOrg]

No, that's a pretty typical frequency range for Tesla coils.

[@gerardmelvin8670]

Hi Rimstar loved video thank you

[@ahmadhajjhussein5549]

thx a lot but a question, what will happen if the the two frequencies weren't close?

[@RimstarOrg]

+ahmad hajj hussein The voltage you get a the topload won't be as high and you won't get as good effects as I demonstrated at the end, if you get any at all.

[@ahmadhajjhussein5549]

ohhh alright thx!

[@prashantpatel1664]

on how much dc volt the tesla coil is running which you have shown in your video?

[@RimstarOrg]

I'm assuming you mean how much is the input voltage going to the spark gap? I didn't measure the voltage but it probably was only a few thousand volts, given how small the spark gap is, maybe even only 1000 volts. You do have to be able to supply a lot of current though. For example, the power supply from my fly swatter (kzbin.info/www/bejne/pJq1dH6Loc6EjdU) had enough voltage to create the sparks but the current was very low so the sparks were only once every few seconds. I don't know what a good amount of current would be either.

[@prashantpatel1664]

will 500v dc supply be enough for creating air conducting between spark gap? plz suggest i am little bit confused about input dc voltage..

[@RimstarOrg]

500V DC might be a little too low.

[@prashantpatel1664]

can i use electric fly swattr as a power supply for tesla coil?

[@RimstarOrg]

No. It can create the spark but it takes so long between sparks that the Tesla coil doesn't work well.

[@agashcool123]

could you attach two magnet wire coils for the secondary, for more turns

[@RimstarOrg]

+agashcool123 If you mean, can you connect two wires together to wind a longer coil with more turns then yes, you can.

[@agashcool123]

+RimstarOrg Thanks.

[@atlas9401]

If you check the 'Auto-Tune' option before you click 'RUN JAVATC', it'll solve for the matching resonant frequency of the primary and secondary.

[@RimstarOrg]

I didn't check 'Auto-Tune' at this stage of the construction but I did make use of it later when changing the coil to a flat spiral coil. I used it to check if the coil had enough turns to be tunable to the resonant frequency. That video is here kzbin.info/www/bejne/i4i5hnh_ndV5bNk.

[@ergrodriguezgarciaeloi469]

Is there a way to make it work without using the cube? Or it needs to be built

[@RimstarOrg]

The cube is a pretty common high voltage power supply. It's just build around a flyback transformer that has a diode builtin. But any sufficiently powerful enough high voltage power supply will do. You need something that will create fairly powerful and frequent sparks across the spark gap. Mine is DC but I'm told you can also use AC. At around 15 seconds into this video, I show different versions I went through. Version 1 used the high voltage power supply from a flyswatter but that wasn't powerful enough. The voltage was high enough but the current was too small and I wouldn't get frequent sparks.

[@ergrodriguezgarciaeloi469]

@@RimstarOrg Thanks a lot because I really don’t have the needed knowledge about that and I misunderstand some steps, very informative and helpful video by the way 👍

[@Anurag2701]

How did you calculate the capacitance required to match the fbt? As the frequencies of flybacks is really very high.... I have a calculator which can do this but it needs frequency of supply to be entered..

[@Anurag2701]

What I'm using to drive a flyback is the zvs driver. The oscillator capacitor in circuit is rated for 0.68uF

[@RimstarOrg]

+Anurag Trivedi Are you talking about the capacitor inside the power supply? I didn't calculate it. This is an old circuit I've used a few times over the years. I think this was where I got it originally jnaudin.free.fr/html/lifterb.htm.

[@Anurag2701]

I'm talking about the tank cap

[@RimstarOrg]

+Anurag Trivedi See 7:19 in the video. I knew what capacitors I had available, and putting them in different series and parallel combinations I knew what possible capacitances I could come up with, so I tried different ones of those possible values while trying different values for the other things, until I came up with something I could build. I did find that I damaged some of those capacitors from heating while getting it all to work so you might consider just making your own capacitors. The best I made are in this video here kzbin.info/www/bejne/e5zZgHehgbFshck.

[@Anurag2701]

RimstarOrg​​ considering the topic of the video.. It says "small tesla coils". I have made a 2feet tall coil powered with a zvs driven flyback (mot in future).. So I need caps which will work with mot also.. My required values are 7.8nF and 36840v rated tank cap. (calculated using an online program which was for 50hz supply) But I know that flybacks don't run on that low frequencies They run at more than 15KHz (as in tv don't know about the zvs freq) so if I calculate capacitance with respect to these frequencies then I get 25pF and same voltage That's why I'm trying to make custom capacitors using a dielectric and some aluminium sheets. 

[@ellasingapore5497]

According to the calculator, I should have my secondary coil be 46cm, but the 600 coils needed only stack to around 25 cm. Would it be really bad to space the first 50ish coils slightly apart from one another to take up the extra height?

[@RimstarOrg]

It sounds like you gave the calculator the wrong wire size (AWG or Wire Dia). Try it with the correct size and see what it says.

[@KAFKUBA]

When I first started watching this video I assumed the power supply was AC and hence the spark gap tesla coil...This is more like a slayer coil that uses transistors but it also has the spark gap to establish resonance vice transistors...can you explain the difference in tuning spark gaps for an AC input source and how to tune caps that are charging AC vice DC?

[@SamuelPutnam-h6u]

Great video! Would a plain microwave transformer (with current limiter) work as the supply, or should I add a rectifier to convert it to dc? First time making a spark gap tesla coil, I'm used to solid state ones haha

[@RimstarOrg]

Thanks! It works with both DC and AC as input, though I've only used DC myself. A microwave transformer puts out AC. I guess you're already aware of how dangerous a microwave transformer can be since you mention a current limiter. Be very careful if you're using the output of the high voltage, high current winding.

[@locouk]

Thanks, very informative 👍🏽

[@RimstarOrg]

Green Silver Thanks, I'm glad you found it so.

[@justnature4875]

hey rimstarorg what's the difference between the two primary coils ? is it for different voltages

[@RimstarOrg]

The first primary coil, the one with the insulation on it, could only be tuned by moving it up and down. The second primary coil, the uninsulated one, could also be tuned by changing the number of turns by connecting to it at different points, which is the reason I made that one. There may be some additional losses with the uninsulated one from charge leaking off it but I doubt that's significant in this case, if there are any additional losses at all.

[@Xonk61]

I've not read the comments on this video yet, but I'm wondering if it's advantageous to make the spark gap adjustable. With a smaller gap, the discharge voltage would be lower, but the frequency would increase. As part of the tank circuit, the frequency of the spark is going to influence the resonant frequency of the secondary, perhaps more than the adjustment of the position of the primary coil to the secondary coil.

[@RimstarOrg]

Xonk61 The resonant frequency is far, far higher than the frequency of the sparks, such that there are many cycles of the tank circuit after each spark. So my guess is that changing the frequency of the spark wouldn't matter that much, except that the current of each spark is greater with a wider gap, since there's more time for charge build-up, and so there would be more energy available for the resonance and possibly larger streamers, except that there would be less streamers. But that's all just my guess.

[@Xonk61]

RimstarOrg to a point, yes. But since it's a resonant circuit, achieving a frequency in the primary that relates well to a harmonic frequency of the secondary will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the circuit

[@RimstarOrg]

Xonk61 Good point.

[@goforgreenliving]

You made it look very simple but I'm unsure about the power supply. If I'm wrong please correct me but is yours just for looks or does ut pull the power out of the ground or air? I want to build one to see if the light or residual voltage will show up as anything in darkness on a solar panel Thank you great video.

[@RimstarOrg]

goforgreenliving The power supply is my Cube one here kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3ypmXWMm9WZetk which is based ona flyback transformer and gets its power from the wall socket. The light from the sparks and streamers should have some effect on a solar panel but the output would be very small. Just thinks about how much the Tesla coil's streamers and sparks light up a room, not much.

[@goforgreenliving]

Thank you for the info I it would have to be large i have seen one about 4 foot it put off decent blue light but maybe sence you have one could you try it sometime just to see a little bit is better than nothing

[@Headbutter-Lettuce90]

Hey, um gerat video, um can you touch the output of the secondary?

[@RimstarOrg]

With my small one you can, provided you don't have any heart conditions. With larger ones, probably best not to.

[@Headbutter-Lettuce90]

@@RimstarOrg Thanks man, im on very good conditions

[@snaj9989]

Hi, how you measure the capacitance as 4nf. There is a formula but you can't calculate it if you dont know what is the outputs of your transformer.

[@RimstarOrg]

I didn't calculation the capacitance. I had 4nF worth of capacitors so I used that as one of my starting points. I calculated most everything else from there.

[@snaj9989]

RimstarOrg Thats nice, I build a giant flat capacitor than roll it. It was 16nf so I cut it in half and made two 10nf capacitors. I will try to put them in parralel and series to find the best results.

[@bepponefai5074]

Great!! Is the best i've seen very good!! Are you a genius? Thank you very much!

[@moodaahmed7308]

thanks for the video. but I have a question ❓ how much voltage we need?

[@RimstarOrg]

+mooda ahmed I don't know exactly, but the spark gap is very small so probably only a few thousand volts. But you do need some current as well. For example, my power supply made from a fly swatter didn't have enough current but the one I use in this video did.

[@moodaahmed7308]

+RimstarOrg thanks a lot

[@Mateo-vl3zv]

RimstarOrg at least 5kv from my experience

[@scraw3]

Hi, im building a tesla coil and need the spark gap to fire at 40khz to get the primary to resonate at natural frequency 24.6mhz. Is there a way i can measure the bps/frequency accurately without damage to the device?

[@RimstarOrg]

I you have an oscilloscope, you could put an oscilloscope probe near it. You don't need to make contact. The sparks create enough electromagnetic radiation that the scope probe acts like an antenna and you might see some spikes the frequency of the sparking on the oscilloscope.

[@scraw3]

@@RimstarOrg thanks, i will do that!

[@helloworld-lb8io]

Hi RimstarOrg thank you for the video. I accidentally cut the wire for the primary circuit too short (i measured it wrong and didn't realize until after it was too late). Would it be a problem to solder two pieces together to form the coil? or should i just buy more wire and restart

[@RimstarOrg]

Yes, you can solder two pieces together to form the coil. Try to keep the join featureless, no sharp edges or bumps this reach far out and touch the next turn.

[@michaelt3172]

What voltage transformer should I buy if I don't make a homemade PSU?

[@RimstarOrg]

I don't know you can get a high enough voltage normal step-up transformer. Some people use neon sign transformers which can produce a high enough voltage.

[@ms88.]

Awesome 👍🏻

[@sbandc]

Can you explain why a Tesla Coil is not, functionally, a generator? Given the components, the circuit is symmetrical, and you should be able to use the primary and secondary coils as the transformer of the power supply and the transformer as the primary and secondary coils- thus making the original transformer as the discharge - from which you can convert into usable power, and the original primary and secondary coils as the transformer- making the ionized air in the surrounding environment the input. Static electricity doesn't account for much power is small numbers, but that is the function of the toroid and capacitor- to collect more ions before discharging at the desired voltage. The working circuit also serves to enhance the ionization process through the magnetic fields of the coils. This makes it, not a device to transmit electricity through the air, but a device to harness it from the air. You don't need to transmit it, because you already have it.

[@RimstarOrg]

The amount of ionized (charged) particles in the air is very, very small, too small to be useful. Also, a transformer needs fluctuations in order to do anything, and that charge is all static.

[@arbaazshirani9045]

Sir how do you know capacitor value or calculate and also no. Of turn secondary coil , gauge ..?

[@RimstarOrg]

For measuring the capacitor value, I have a capacitance measuring feature on my multimeter. Many meters these days can measure capacitance. You can also get a rough estimate for some capacitor shapes, cylinders and flat plate capacitors for example. I talk about doing that in this video about making low voltage capacitors (but it works for high voltage ones too) kzbin.info/www/bejne/fafIemydja6mftk . For the secondary coil, I use the online calculator that I talk about in the video.

[@joitotheworld2134]

Hello can i ask for a javaCT data for 12v power supply mini tesla? Or is there possibly one?

[@RimstarOrg]

12v is too low a voltage to power the spark gap. However, you could use the 12v to power a high voltage power supply that puts out a high enough voltage. That's what I'm doing in this video. The power supply on the left is a low voltage one and that powered the dark, cube shaped power supply that converts to high voltage.

[@rotor_rc]

Hey great poject i wanted to ask if it is dangerous?

[@RimstarOrg]

This small one isn't dangerous. Larger ones can be. However, the power supply that I'm using as input to the Tesla coil can be dangerous.

[@stevefuerst2770]

Thank you for this video. It is very helpful. I was in the process of making my secondary coil and ran out of wire. Is it possible to make the secondary with 2 pieces of wire (in a single layer)? Should the wires be spliced?

[@RimstarOrg]

Sure, just solder the two wires together and continue winding. Make sure your connection doesn't have any sharp points. You could add a little insulation before winding on the section with the joint. You can coat it with some resin or corona dope. The existing enamel insulation probably doesn't do much anyway to protect against a high voltage spike so you may think you don't need to insulate the joint, but you may as well anyway.

[@stevefuerst2770]

Thank you so much for your response.

[@vasilzhekov9245]

Does the primmary coil have to be from magnetic wire?

[@RimstarOrg]

The primary coil should have as large a diameter as possible and good insulation helps too. That's because it'll be at high voltage and you want to minimize losses. Magnet wire has the opposite of both those things. It's small diameter and has a very thin insulation, so it's no good for the primary. BTW It's "magnet" wire and not "magnetic" wire. It's really just normal copper wire but it's often used for making electromagnets and coils for motors which get magnetized, so it's called magnet wire. There's nothing special or magnetic about it.

[@vasilzhekov9245]

Ту

[@michaelt3172]

Would an AC power supply work on this too or does it have to be DC?

[@RimstarOrg]

It can be either AC or DC. I'm using pulsed DC. Some people use neon sign transformers which put out AC.

[@michaelt3172]

Alright thanks. I am finally getting around to building mine. My power supply I made using a fluorescent light ballast and CRT TV transformer outputs 60 volts at 20 mA. I am building the actual coil today but was thinking that I might be able to get longer sparks using a modified microwave oven transformer since I have one. Would the microwave transformer possibly be better or should I stick with my current power supply?

[@thenarrowgate3063]

Hey chief thanks for the video, i have a question tho, that secondary wire that you connect to ground, does it recieve power? Im just so used to the slayer exciter where the secondary start wire is connected to source or emmiter of a mosfet, yes i am a noob but i enjoy being a hobbyist 😉Edit: So im ecstatic! Pun intended that my coil is finally working..so cool however i stil have the caps arcing problem..it is a problem yes? anyhow thanks, i tried making the slayer and the mosfet coil, but none worked but yours 💪👍

[@RimstarOrg]

I've heard of the slayer but don't know details. But in this Tesla coil, the secondary wire connected to ground doesn't receive power directly. The only power it receives is what's induced into the secondary by the primary.

[@syedadnan7521]

sir its confusing over there please can u suggest some small scale mechanical engg project please and thanks for ur reply

[@RimstarOrg]

+Syed Adnan How is it confusing over there? Your feedback will be helpful if there is something confusing that I can fix. Gravity light kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZrWgoyljtxja80 science_electronics_projects/gravity_light_homemade_diy.htm Wimshurst machine on Sparking Bike kzbin.info/www/bejne/moK8dHuDha1lq6c www.instructables.com/id/Sparking-Bike-LightBug-Zapper Make a Wimshurst Machine using CDs kzbin.info/www/bejne/pqamZ2CLlrlsfM0 Making Stirling engines kzbin.info/www/bejne/fHTNio2Ka6t9o5Y or rimstar.org/science_electronics_projects/stirling_engine_w_big_cylinder_plate_for_fresnel.htm

[@two_number_nines]

for more power and efficiency increase the capacity of the capacitors so you can transfer more magnetic field energy for the same spark

[@MrZurikato0]

how many votls are you supplying to the coil?

[@RimstarOrg]

Zuriel Cevada I don't know. I don't have any good way of measuring it.

[@mostafahesham963]

i can not find ehis capasitors how can i use different way ?

[@johnnewcomb4386]

if i make this same circuit with an AC power will it still work?

[@RimstarOrg]

+John Newcomb Yes, it will. Keep in mind that you'll still need thousands of volts AC. That's usually done with a high voltage transformer like a neon sign transformer. I haven't done that myself though.

[@draftartmart8069]

Hi Rimstar, I have bought the parts for a 120w zvs driver i will be powering it with a 12v 7a supply(84W) and it will be powering a flyback transformer i also have will have a 800 - 1000 turns with 28AWG 150m of wire. Which is the best material to wind the secondary on? Will my tesla be able give 5cm sparks with a 4.5cm diameter pipe of_______. Awesome video

[@RimstarOrg]

The pipe can be anything that's not electrically conductive, usually a plastic of some sort, though cardboard works too. PVC and ABS pipes are easy to find at hardware stores.

[@ericcruz9167]

I really enjoy your videos sir & i have a question that i hope u can help me with. I suck at reading schematics so i was hoping that maybe u could draw me a wiring diagram that would show me how to connect my dual mot power supply with voltage doubler to my cap bank & asrsg then to my tesla coil.

[@KowboyUSA]

Awesome tutorial.

[@RimstarOrg]

John Ratko Thanks. It felt good to make a big, detailed one again.

[@adityaswamy4005]

For how much time did ur voltage supply worked? While it was continuously used.

[@RimstarOrg]

I don't know what a maximum time would be. Since it's a spark gap Tesla coil, it's too noisy to run for a long time so the most I've run it for at a time is probably around 2 to 3 minutes.

[@adityaswamy4005]

I want to make tesla coil for project day.But for project day it has to be running about 6-8 hours.So do u think I can run it for that time? Or should I make it without a spark gap

[@adityaswamy4005]

Pls do reply

[@RimstarOrg]

I think the problem with running this one for 6-8 hours is with the power supply that I used to power it. I think it would get too hot if you run it that long. But you can look for a different power supply in that case. Also, the capacitors I used in this video might not last, but the ones I switch to in this other video would last I think kzbin.info/www/bejne/e5zZgHehgbFshck. It will be very loud for other people to hear for 6-8 hours though.

[@adityaswamy4005]

Tq very much I'll be sure to try it out

[@aleksandarrodic2066]

how many volts are on sparkle electrodes?I am trying to make it.

[@RimstarOrg]

I'm assuming you mean the voltage at the spark gap. It's difficult to measure and so I didn't but a rough estimate based on the shape of the electrodes and the distance between them is that it's less than 10kV probably even less than 5kV. This trick though, is to have a power supply that can provide a lot of current when the spark happens and to be able to produce sparks at a reasonable frequency. For example, I tried with this electric fly swatter kzbin.info/www/bejne/pJq1dH6Loc6EjdU which can produce the necessary high voltage but the current in each spark is small and it takes the fly swatter's power supply a few seconds each time to build up enough voltage to create a spark. I don't have the precise voltage and current specifications needed but I just didn't want you to think that voltage was the only issue since many things, even rubbing your feet against a carpet, will produce enough voltage, but only for one weak spark every now and then. The power supply I used is my Cube power supply kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3ypmXWMm9WZetk. Ones that use neon sign transformers are another option but I don't have anything about that.

[@abuanaschowdhury4646]

Can we use polarized capacitors?

[@RimstarOrg]

No, you can't use polarized capacitors.

[@andre_sich]

I hope that a long time! Thank you.

[@ahmadhajjhussein5549]

what happens if i changed the distance between the two electrodes of the spark gap?

[@RimstarOrg]

+ahmad hajj hussein If you increase the distance between the electrodes then the capacitor will have more time to build up more energy so that when the spark happens there's be more current and I think you should get a better result from the Tesla coil. Just make sure you don't allow the voltage in the capacitor to build up so much that you damage the capacitor. That's what the voltage rating on a capacitor is all about. If you decrease the distance between the electrodes then the voltage will be lower and so will the energy and the result from the Tesla coil should be less, I think.

[@andrewobrien3973]

Would a microwave oven transformer work in place of the power brick if the spark gap was smaller?

[@RimstarOrg]

A microwave oven transformer is a high voltage source with plenty of current so it should work.

[@andrewobrien3973]

Thanks

[@gyorgykomaromi994]

Hi, what factors determine how long the "lightnings" will be???

[@RimstarOrg]

+gyorgy komaromi The voltage determines how low the streamers at the top will be. Assuming you manage to make the tesla coil resonate well the the input voltage from the power supply is a factor as well as the number of turns on the primary and secondary. Bigger tesla coils produce higher voltage.

[@gyorgykomaromi994]

RimstarOrg What difference will make a 1mm wire instead of 0.5 mm on the secondary???Do I need a bigger coil if I have a 10kV power supply or I should stock with this one???

[@gyorgykomaromi994]

gyorgy komaromi Stick*

[@gyorgykomaromi994]

gyorgy komaromi If the frequency is higher something will change???

[@RimstarOrg]

+gyorgy komaromi A smaller coil will give you a higher resonant frequency. Larger coils have lower resonant frequencies. So it's lower that you'll get after for higher voltage.

[@janno288]

Those capacitors are a bad choice since those are not meant for Radio Frequencies and they heat up due to that changing their capacitance / causing a high internal resistance. I would advise using Foil Capacitors (Polyprop Caps)

[@RimstarOrg]

Thanks for the suggestion. I did try some DIY capacitors too, a flat plate foil one kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZmbJZ42XjNKlbrM and some bottle ones kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZScfp2wm9SqmdU (not so good though since the foil was not glued firmly in place).

[@loganathanvb6834]

Sir I like your explanation

[@robertson4298]

Can we light a bulb or light in this Tesla coil

[@RimstarOrg]

Sure, I do it in my demonstration video kzbin.info/www/bejne/rJbQd2qmZciVfrc

[@itzyash4359]

Plz Suggest Any Other Power Source for this Tesla Coil..

[@AMITBUBU]

Hello dear Rimstar! I understand this Tesla coil use about 15-20 v with about 2 Amp. I would like to ask you if this machine can be harmful to people and to other electronics Thank you for your nice video

[@RimstarOrg]

+AMITBUBU A Tesla coil can interfere with electronics whenever there's a spark. This small on isn't harmful to people but you can get a harmful shock from a more powerful Tesla coil. But as long as you don't get a shock from it then you're okay.

[@AMITBUBU]

Thanks for your answer ! one more question , if I increase the frequently to around 2000 kh , what should it will change? Will it make the power of every cycle to be lower maybe?

[@shailjavyas6220]

Sir whatvis the work of the aluminium foil covered ball

[@juliannel5182]

Hi Sir....where is the base of the secondary connected?!

[@juliannel5182]

pls do reply

[@RimstarOrg]

+Julian Nel It's connected to Earth ground. I give a few tips for getting a ground at around 6 minutes and 50 seconds into this old video about crystal radios kzbin.info/www/bejne/fou9nn6Qf9d8jZI.

[@juliannel5182]

+RimstarOrg thank you so much, i understand it now, i whent and did some research now now.....hopefully mine will be up and running tomorrow.... can u pls tell me what that red thing by ur powersupply is

[@draftartmart8069]

can we use those 400kV modules for the Tesla coil

[@draftartmart8069]

I mean powering

[@RimstarOrg]

The input voltage is actually limited by the width of the spark gap and that's going to be in the 10s of kV. I'm not familiar with the modules you're talking about but that will keep them from getting up to 400kV. I also don't know the current so I don't know if they will generate sparks fast enough to make it practical.

[@RimstarOrg]

Judging from the sparks in the 1st video it has the voltage and current for input to a Tesla coil. I agree, it's nowhere near 400kV. The output wires wouldn't be able to handle it.

[@Kangsteri]

Im planning to try one. Or the 1000kv version. When it gets to that high voltages it will not be in the wires anymore, it flows on them (skin effect).

[@RimstarOrg]

Kangsteri I don't think it's the voltage that causes the current to flow over the skin. It's the high frequency AC (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skin_effect). Even then, I'd be very careful. There has to be a reason you see all those people in Faraday cages when near large Tesla coils with long streamers.

[@CedsBritishBrass34]

Hey thank you for helping me i placed a small aluminium needle on top of the toroid and i changed the capacitors sort That you use and i turned it on and i was surprised there were arc's flying off my toroid i was so happy thank you very Much :) Ps i opened my settings but i din't find the question who can comment your Posts ?

[@ravichandran.p.kravichandr5406]

Cool buddy great job 🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂

[@erikmuller9222]

Where I can buy the Capacitors ?

[@RimstarOrg]

I bought them from here www.amazing1.com/pages/hv-parts/capacitors-rectifiers-diodes.html. However, they didn't last long so maybe the voltage was too high so I made this one instead kzbin.info/www/bejne/e5zZgHehgbFshck.

[@akokJ619]

Can you please tell me how much voltage of power i need to resonant a coil of 2200khz