Touchable Desktop Lightning! (Tesla Coil Build + PCB GIVEAWAY)

Hey everyone,
In this episode of BackMacSci, I built a desktop lightning generator that makes plasma bolts that I can touch. It's absolutely insane! Actually, it's electrical engineering :) This project was a blast for me to build and I really hope you all enjoyed it.
If you live in the US, you have the chance to win a PCB for this tesla coil just by commenting that you would build the coil if I sent the PCB to you. For an even better chance, suggest a future video idea or what experiments YOU would do with this device!
Big thanks to ‪@LabCoatz_Science‬ for making this epic circuit that worked the first time I fired it up (after replacing a faulty potentiometer lol).
Follow me on Instagram and TikTok for more science experiences!
@backmacsci
Support me on Patreon with just $3? If you insist...
/ backmacsci
Music:
Keep On Trying - Andrew Applepie
Curious - Ron Gelinas
Mexico (Ft Armani White) - Abhi the Nomad
Extra Life - Abhi the Nomad
Home - Vince Staples

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Nice work man, glad to see the circuit working so well for you! Guess next your fans can look forward to our class-E SSTC collab ;)

[@BackMacSci]

Thank you for optimizing the circuit. And I can't WAIT for Electra to make her debut😎

[@scottmcgowan5953]

Great video and the output is amazing. Your videos are certainly looking more polished ; I think the phrase is " Production Value" (although just typing that left a bad taste in my mouth) . Keep on trucking. And I certainly would build one if you had any boards left . I know it has been a while since you posted this.

[@marksworkbench8705]

Nice 3d printed case for the circuit! I will definitely build it if I recieve the PCB!

[@BackMacSci]

Thanks! And alright! Send your address to my email @backmacsci and I'll send it to you soon!

[@viswanathanairy4556]

great project!! I liked it very much!

[@firefox1136]

That is an epic output! Also nice that you could use the secondary from the one tesla kit:)

[@BackMacSci]

Thanks Firefox. And yeah, I'm glad too. At first I thought the resonant frequency of the onetesla coil and topload would be too low to output stright sword sparks, but it looks like 250kHz is good enough!

[@gears97]

How do you check the resonance frequency of a coil? I’m a chemist and want to get into building electronics!

[@owlredshift]

At the end when you said "click the bell" your finger did a heckin ZEUS and gave me a substantial frite. So ofc i rang the bell immediately, please to not shock

[@BackMacSci]

LOLL

[@davidbehrendsen4635]

Awesome stuff!

[@delta-KaeBee]

EXCELLENT work dude!!! lovin the vids, the musicality, the fun..... and of course, the TESLLAAAA CURLZ⚡Z⚡Z!

[@uniquetechchip8985]

Sir I watch all your videos and all your videos are very useful and also share all your videos in my group.

[@theelectronmachines]

looking pretty nice 😁

[@cisarvialpando7412]

Can you put all the parts list here

[@TravisTellsTruths]

It's so beautiful

[@xsamp86]

Wow just discovered your channel! Awesome content! What video editing software do you use for your visuals out of interest? Totally fraking awesome :)

[@BackMacSci]

Thank you! I use DaVinci Resolve and do weird work-arounds for my visuals lol, not the "right way"!

[@xsamp86]

@@BackMacSci nice job 👌 unconventional workarounds are the best! You want to see my component fault finding methods sometimes 😂

[@redfivedrones7235]

Would you be willing to share the circut board and parts list? Thanks!

[@cisarvialpando7412]

Why One Tesla TS has stopped selling those DIY kits ?

[@rodriguezfranco3839]

Oh dang , fancy pcb and 3d printed enclusure , I wish I could build such a clean setup but all my coils end up with the ghetto style look 🤣🤣🤣

[@uniquetechchip8985]

I needed your help can you give me the circuit diagram of this

[@MarcoPauloBlasckePiovezan]

The free energy guys crowd is going crazy right now 😅

[@jamesparker1839]

I would absolutely build this

[@carmenarnoni5760]

I may be late, but could I have a PCB? 🌩 Its cool for you to give these away! Thanks! even if I don't make it. Tesla coils are so cool! [Edit]: I sent you a message on Gmail! i hope you get it!

[@WaffleStaffel]

Another outstanding job kiddo.

[@BackMacSci]

Hahah thanks waffle!

[@taotao401]

my circuit won't work could tell me please how you've put the led to test it? Thanks

[@_jonathanfilip_]

I tried the build this circuit and only got about a millimeter spark. I think it would either be the GDT or the primary coil. Seems like a simple circuit but it’s a pain haha

[@AnanyaChadha]

this is also so cool!! how did you do the calculation to know that it was safe to touch with your bare hand? Is there an equation you used for that? since if I recreate it, I don't want to die! lol

[@BackMacSci]

There’s no equation for it sadly because the danger of electricity is incredibly complex (check out styropyro’s video on “do amps kill” to learn more about this idea and be massively entertained). For this coil I would say the safety is mostly due to the high frequency of the voltage and the small amount of energy going through my heart

[@cisarvialpando7412]

And can you the link of that PCB here

[@taotao401]

why does your transistors seems to be in the wrong side?

[@BackMacSci]

I put the transistors below the board because that was the only way I could attach the heatsink with the transistors facing upwards.

[@gl1tch551]

That was epic

[@BackMacSci]

Thanks! I see from your profile picture that you like the Avengers? Wait until you see one of my next videos where i make a desktop arc reactor lamp!

[@styrishrodrigues]

Waiting 💖

[@kingofplasma9489]

👌

[@vitorkap3]

Can someone with no experience building this kind of stuff build this without setting the house on fire or getting electrocuted to death? Cuz this is pretty cool and I wanna build it

[@BackMacSci]

Hmmm not this project, no but a simpler one like this: m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/gKutgpKcf8qgfpo

[@vitorkap3]

@@BackMacSci Thanks!

[@zenden8030]

How do you control the amperage? This is a cool science project but I can't see how this can be contained to use this to power anything. Plus, I think our infrastructure and appliances would have to be completely changed to accomodate this means of energy transfer. Have you seen videos of people making huge models of this? They are very loud and I think dangerous. I watched your video where you made a larger model of this and you had to use a grounded glove to get close to it. Perhaps I just don't quite understand this source of energy very well. It's electro-magnetic correct? I'd imagine it could still cause immense harm to a person...

[@BackMacSci]

Only way to control current is with the knobs on the front. They determine the average power of the device since they can change the rate at which the tesla coil is turned on and off. I hope I’m not over-explaining, but it is called an interrupter circuit that only allows the tesla coil to run in short bursts instead of continuously, which reduces current and therefore power demand.

[@zenden8030]

@@BackMacSci oh I see. Maybe I should have payed attention more. I like that. Can you show it running continuously? I guess I question the volitility here. Can you also show it turning something on? like a light bulb. (or maybe you did and I just didn't see)

[@BackMacSci]

This is just a pretty demonstration of electromagnetism, and not supposed to be practical. The videos I make are to educate about electromagnetism and are not meant to improve the world’s power infrastructure. Thats just where my passion and interests lie, and I leave the prectical research to others!

[@zenden8030]

Do you know any channels who make these for mor practical purposes?

[@harms123]

@@zenden8030 They're not meant for practical purposes. Transfering energy this way is extremely inefficient, especially over long distances.

[@nguyendesign4517]

hey what was your input voltage?

[@BackMacSci]

120VAC

[@nguyendesign4517]

@@BackMacSci oh wow i thought you need 240 for arcs like that like what labcoatz did

[@BackMacSci]

@@nguyendesign4517 i would, yeah. his arcs are longer than mine for that reason

[@papolele]

Amazing! I have seen you using a banana as the point, but can you actually make music out of those? Banana tesla coil music lol.

[@BackMacSci]

That would be very epic. I’ll try to make that!

[@ashers_workshop]

Wow! I want to build one too!!!!!

[@BackMacSci]

Yay!! It's a great project. Check out LabCoatz's video "QCW coil"

[@ashers_workshop]

@@BackMacSci ok

[@TheSpectralArtisan]

Hey! Just reiterating the lateness of the last comment lol ok but do you have a pcb left? 🤪 or a place I may source one for myself sirrr?

[@Critter145]

3:32 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@scoon2117]

Thank god for nerds

[@DewangThakur-fv2jr]

Can you please send me the pcb print or that pcb photo

[@styrishrodrigues]

🥲🥲Couldn't be a part of the giveaway coz i live in India

[@BackMacSci]

Ah, sorry about that!

[@styrishrodrigues]

@@BackMacSci anyways.. Enjoyed your build.. Looking forward to see more tesla coil videos with different circuits in the future 🤓

[@BackMacSci]

@@styrishrodrigues great! that's the plan

[@ElIsraelJijijiji]

Can I have a PCB?

[@BackMacSci]

Sure! If you live in the US, email me your address, and I'll send it to you. My email is [e-mail]

[@ElIsraelJijijiji]

@@BackMacSci wellp there is the problem, I'm from Mexico:"v

[@BackMacSci]

Dang. Email me your address anyway and I’ll send the PCB if the shipping isnt crazy expensive!

[@ElIsraelJijijiji]

@@BackMacSci no problem, the problem is the shipping for the components, mouser and Digi-Key shipping is like 600 pesos for me (30 dollars) it means it costs more than the project itself

[@ElIsraelJijijiji]

@@BackMacSci even if I had the PCB I could just place some passive components like resistors, capacitors, some diodes, maybe IGBTs but not the gate driver and the GDT

[@truchuynh53]

Hello, can I ask for your Facebook or Gmail? I have a few problems making the QCW circuit that Zach Armstrong made (PCB version in your video), I am currently wondering what to do for the past 1 month to fix it. Hope you respond! :(

[@BackMacSci]

email me at [e-mail] for help