World's Easiest QCW Tesla Coil (Staccato-Ramped DRSSTC) | The Ultimate Build Guide

Enjoy this video? Be sure to check out my latest and greatest Tesla coil tutorial, which shows you how to build your own audio-modulated, class-E musical Tesla coil: • Inventing the Ultimate...
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The QCW DRSSTC: some consider it to be the crown-achievement of the amateur high voltage community. A magnificent and extremely rare device capable of producing electrical sparks much larger than the device itself. Since its creation, the QCW Tesla coil has remained something of a mystery...until NOW! Ladies and gentlemen: welcome to KZbin's first proper QCW tutorial!
In this video, you will not only discover how a traditional QCW coils operates, but also learn how to properly build and construct your very own staccato-based QCW Tesla coil. This particular design is easier, cheaper, and quieter than most Tesla coil designs, and it's safe enough for indoor use. To top it all off, when this thing is built right, it can produce sparks over FOUR TIMES the length of the coil itself! So what are you waiting for? Let's build!
Full instructions, parts list, schematic, and PCB Gerber files (PCB size is 157mm by 114mm):
drive.google.com/file/d/11MJa...
And, for those interested, these are the 3D files I made for my coil's enclosure, toroid, and more (I'm not a 3D wizard, so don't judge me, lol):
drive.google.com/file/d/1UYB3...
Want to help support awesome videos like this? Check out the links below! The next TWO people to join my Patreon will receive a FREE QCW PCB: / labcoatz
For people interested in one-time donations: www.paypal.com/paypalme/labcoatz
Check out my write-ups of this project on Instructables and Hackaday:
www.instructables.com/Buildin...
hackaday.io/project/184038-bu...
Want to engage with other people in the Tesla coil and high voltage community? Check out our Discord server:
/ discord
Super useful links:
www.classictesla.com/java/java...
loneoceans.com/labs/qcw/
loneoceans.com/labs/sstc3/
stevehv.4hv.org/
stevehv.4hv.org/drsstc_design...
Music used:
Main background music: • Alternative/Punk Music...
Intro background: • Video
Build montage (Alec Koff): • No Copyright Hard Rock...
Coil demo: • Video
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:24 Finding the optimal design
1:55 Going dual-resonant
2:39 Making it DR-capable
3:55 QCW basics
4:37 Staccato solution
5:07 Optimizing a QCW coil
6:46 The final circuit
7:38 PCBgogo sponsorship segment
8:24 BUILD MONTAGE!!
9:22 Activating the machine
10:59 Performance details
11:53 PCB giveaway!
12:22 Special thanks and credits

[@PlasmaChannel]

NIce work LC! Im planning on getting a 3D printer for identical uses as well. Those sparks are massive bro. How many pulses compose each burst?

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Thanks Jay, glad you liked the video! Each spark burst is generated by a single ramped pulse, which is adjustable via the potentiometers linked to the staccato circuit. The max BPS is pretty low (under 60Hz, maybe less than 30Hz), and the pulse width ranges from near-zero to 8 milliseconds.

[@pranavramesh4888]

This is KZbin history right here!

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Glad you think so, feel free to share this project around and check out the links in the video description to the accompanying Hackaday and Instructables projects!

[@harunlisic]

Damn dude, you explained stuff in 30 seconds which for others would take 30 videos, and you explained it so that everyone understands it well

[@LabCoatz_Science]

When I was first learning about Tesla coils, it always seemed like the information was never concise enough (and it was usually spread across like ten different websites). I'm just trying to give everyone what I wish I had back in the day: a single source with basically all of the necessary data.

[@tatemcaluney6124]

Duuuuude that was so epic, seriously. This video was over before I knew it yet it was 12 minutes, so great job! I think I'll make my enclosure transparent to appreciate that PCB. You're an inspiration, for real.

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Glad you liked it, hopefully this video takes off so more people can learn about (and make their own) QCW-type Tesla coils! We'll see though...can't wait to see a video of your staccato QCW coil when it's done!

[@damny0utoobe]

Excellent work on your sstc designs

[@ihtsarl9115]

I have been building many half & Fullbridge Mosfet power resonaters and have been trying to eliminate parasitic oscillations and high pulses at resonance so as you shared I am in agreement in this video at just near resonance I get clean oscillations, yet still effective induction heating.

[@cisarvialpando7412]

Best video...the only youtuber who shows how to built it and all the links of the necessary circuits..

[@OfficialPCBGOGO]

EPIC! Glad you choose our PCB!!! Honored!

[@inventorbrothers7053]

I can't believe how simple the circuit schematic is. Every other one I looked at was much more complicated. I want to build it this very second! Your explanations really helped me understand how the QCW tesla coil works. Thanks for making this awesome video!

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Thank you for watching, so glad you liked it! You can find more info in the video description, including links to this project's official Hackaday and Instructables projects. Hope you give it a try, it's totally worth it in my opinion!

[@inventorbrothers7053]

@@LabCoatz_Science Thanks! I'll check it out and definitely try it!

[@manvstaco]

Great video, worth the wait👍

[@morganchandler5126]

You should post this in my Facebook group Tesla universe...

[@LabCoatz_Science]

I'd love to, do you run that page?

[@morganchandler5126]

@@LabCoatz_Science Me and a few other guys also you should check out (Tesla coils are boss) another group I'm not admin of but I think the coiling community would have a lot to offer you and also you would be an asset to us as well...

[@Livewire460]

Good work! That's a crazy spark-to-coil ratio!😁

[@mine_craftpro]

This is THE most EPIC VIDEO IVE EVER SEEN!!! im thinking of building one.

[@hackercop]

Really want to build this, your videos are amazing

[@Slowly_Going_Mad]

Those are crazy. Love it.

[@Pneumaticcannon]

Awesome video mate !! Given me inspiration to have another go making one myself. Keep up the good work :)

[@rogerhargreaves2272]

Wow, had to check out your SSTC after seeing you help Jay out over on Plasma Channel. Totally amazing Zack. Nice one. 😀👍

[@cisarvialpando7412]

Best one ever. No other youtuber explain like this simple..... Your next project should be a musical Tesla Coil.

[@CuriousChan]

Awesome! I hope I can also build circuits like this in the future😄👍

[@KDewees91]

I had to come back and appreciate this video even more. Excellent job, Zach! (Your pcb design skills are phenomenal btw)

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Thanks man, hopefully I can put my PCB skills to good use on our custom DR circuit! I think my skills are finally up to the task, lol. This last class-E coil I've been working on finally forced me to learn about adding a ground plane, which reduces EMI phenomenally!

[@KDewees91]

@@LabCoatz_Science I've heard alot of folks having excellent results using a GP on boards. Also connecting a case to it for extra protection.

[@rosmig1301]

Hi. thank you for this video. I learned a lot.

[@Magneticitist]

Awesome bro I know a lot of people out there want to try this and it will help them out. It's crazy cause Deeds and Brian/SciTubeHD are the ones who first had me like "woah I need to try this" and that was years and years ago. It's kind of strange how it has remained somewhat of an obscure kind of Tesla coil even though it's fairly easy and cheap and gets really nice streamer results.

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Thanks man, I owe at least part of my success to your helpful advice!

[@ERICsLab]

This is EPIC!!!!!

[@NerdlabsSci]

OMG nice job zach!

[@supriyode8716]

One step towards Advancement of Human Civilization! Keep it up man👍

[@zanekhan8648]

Great vid!👍

[@weetarted3715]

Great work ..... keep it up!

[@Tesla210]

Thanks for using a clip of my VTTC !

[@nomythstudios]

Underrated

[@stephshighvoltagelab]

NICE WORK my friend!Great sparks from such a simple design and an igbt half-bridge,your coil made my full-bridge drsstc feel shame!Maybe you can build a Vacuum Tube powed Tesla Coil in th futrue!

[@coilerer]

@LabCoatz I gave this circuit a try, but I wasn't able to get primary feedback working reliably without adding a resitor across pin 1 and 13 of the 74HC14. You mentioned you had trouble, maybe give that a shot.

[@michaelbuzzy7915]

Can this circuit do music as well? Great video. literally wound my primary the day before this came out! Great timing!

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Awesome, glad you liked the video! Unfortunately, this device was built entirely for generating massive, high-efficiency sparks with little sound, so no music. My other half-bridge SSTC is music-capable though, if you'd like to check that out!

[@MasterIvo]

3:45 those voltage spikes (impulses) are what Tesla used to excite his secondary. I am making a video how to use 3kV impulses, by switching Mosfets in series

[@ihtsarl9115]

I like the proffesional description of the elctronics but wished the explanation was a bit slower but anyway thanks for posting this v. good video.

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Man, you're the second person to mention me needing to talk slower...I guess I'll need to try harder next time, lol! Still, glad you enjoyed the video!

[@MasterIvo]

just found your video, awesome! Worthy of building. I build tesla pancake coils, without TVS, instead I switch series mosfets which allow for 3500V inductive spikes (impulses) I use these high energy spikes to create displacement currents between the primary and secondary. Very effective! more info on my channel.

[@morganchandler5126]

Awesome .... I see you used robs vttc video .... awesome

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Glad you liked it! I honestly considered using some of your footage, but I didn't want to mess with another active KZbinr with as many subscribers as you, lol! Polonium210 and Kyle Dewees (Electromagnetic Farce) had some great footage, and I knew Kyle personally, so I went with their stuff. It always makes me nervous using other peoples' videos, even if it's in "fair use".

[@youlackingcake]

Hello, thank you for the awesome video, design, and all the help. I am relatively new to electronics and TCs and so I only somewhat understand the diagram. I was wondering which capacitor(s?) are the primary ones. I was playing around with JavaTC and didn’t know what value to put for the primary capacitor.

[@randyduart4772]

LabCoatz we are at it again with your Staccato QCW DRSSTC. If you are still checking comments, we have a question. We have your DRSSTC coil constructed, but we realized that we missed ordering the capacitors for the MMC. Your video shows that you built a 2KV 80nf MMC. Which consisted of 4 capacitors. The Instructables site suggested 1kV or higher film capacitors to set up the MMC. The Instructables site recommended buying a set of ten 0.01uF (10nF) capacitors. Would an MMC built with four 0.01uF capacitors be enough for this build? I am getting ready to make the order and thought I would ask prior to making the order. As always, your advice would be greatly appreciated. By the way your SSTC we built is working perfectly.

[@teslamusikpetir]

Wow mantap 😍⚡⚡⚡🇮🇩

[@kevinscollan8293]

If you spoke slightly slower, old guys like me would find it a lot easier to understand your English. Absolutely brilliant coil bruv and some great sparks 😎💕🖖

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Yeah, lol, I tried to slow it down a bit for this video, but evidently I can still improve some! Glad you liked the project!

[@vdekjEE]

If you use a level shifter on the input you can double your ramp time to 8ms! Using a level shifter (like those used in VTTCs) shifts the mains waveform so it's entirely positive, allowing you to ramp from the peak of the negative halfwave to the peak of the positive, or 8ms. You'll also need to use a doubler for the AC input to the staccato. Also, you wrote at 7:12 that you have an 8ms ramp vs. loneocean's circuit's 4ms, but it's actually the same for the both of you. He cites only 1/4 of the mains cycle as the ramp since half of the positive halfwave is falling in voltage rather than rising.

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Very good suggestion! Although at 120V/240V, the capacitor in a level shifter would have to be quite large to allow the proper amount of current through. I just tried with a small film cap worth a few uF, but the output was almost non-existent (probably because the peak current was too low thanks to capacitive impedance). In a VTTC, where the voltage is upwards of 2kV, the 2000 ohms of reactance provided by a 1uF MOC is just fine, since the MOT output is still over an amp, but it seems to be a different story at 120V. Still, I'll be looking into this technology a bit more to see if I can come up with anything! Also, in regards to the ramp time, that was somewhat of a typo: I was talking about the staccato pulse width. Loneoceans was only 4ms, so he only got the ramp-up time, but mine is 8ms to include the ramp-down period, which gives the sparks a softer sound and thicker appearance.

[@vdekjEE]

@@LabCoatz_Science A large electrolytic should work.

[@LabCoatz_Science]

@@vdekjEE Wouldn't it have AC/pulses going through it? Electrolytics die from that kind of stuff typically...regardless, I just tried it with a 1000uF capacitor, and the sparks weren't even ramped anymore. Pretty weird, I might have to look into it more before I throw out the idea though...

[@Ferraday]

@@LabCoatz_Science not difficult for an electrolytic of the size needed (few thousand uF) to handle the RMS current, but (simplicity aside,) the size of this circuitry would be too big to continue coping with mains ramped QCW instead of phase shifted fullbridge or modulated bus

[@vdekjEE]

​@@LabCoatz_Science I could have sworn I left a response to this... I certainly wrote it, at the very least. Well, whatever: Yes it would have some RMS current, but as Ferraday said this isn't an unreasonable ask for larger electrolytics (they need to be able to deal with the ripple current, after all). It would also be fairly low because of staccato. 1000uF is a bit low. I'd use 5k-10k uF This doesn't really make all *that* much sense to do for this build since it would add so much weight and volume. Though, the capacitor would only need to be rated for 170v (120v mains peak) if you're level shifting 120v into 240v, so it wouldn't be insane.

[@domasberulis]

hey, i built this and its amazing. But I need to put it behind a glass and start it by pressing a button. Then arduino should turn it on and off after 20 seconds. When I used a typical 10A mechanical relay it fused the switchable terminals together. Is there a smarter easier way of turning the coil on and off safely apart from controlling the 220V AC supply from the outlet? Maybe some wire in the driver can be safely switched? Or somewhere in the primary or secondary circuits? Thank you! It shouldn't put stress on the IGBTS

[@redingenieur7334]

YES YES YESSSS

[@pauldery7875]

Hey LC, just received my boarfs from JLC PCB, and the lool great, but one of the caps calls for a 10uF that seems awfully large, just checking to make sure it's correct.

[@eshaankhade3059]

I was planning to build a DRSSTC for my Highschool graduation project, might make it a QCW one now. :) Also do you have a discord server? Or do you know any for Tesla coils

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Nice! Our official Tesla coil Discord server can be found here: discord.gg/4rh6QkZ3ej. I also recommend the Tesla Universe Facebook page. The people there are pretty active and super helpful! Morgan Chandler is an admin there, and he has a ton of QCW experience under his belt. Hope that helps!

[@chbonnici]

Can you show us how to build a Tesla Voilet Ray Wand. It seems nobody tackled this project before. I would appreciate your views. Thank you for your videos.

[@Pneumaticcannon]

Where did you get that PCB stand / 3rd hand helper thing ? I'm looking to get one myself. I need to get a 3d printer or work out something for a topload haha.

[@LabCoatz_Science]

It was a gift, but I'm pretty sure it's from Amazon.com!

[@chunloonglow5905]

Hi, great video! mind to ask if this circuit suitable in 230AC region? or do i need to step down the main AC to 110AC instead? please advise.

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Of course it is suitable (I actually recommend it)! The black box I plugged it into in this video is a 240V transformer, which is what allowed me to get those 20" sparks in the first place!

[@Pyromancers]

Any direction to add the square wave music capabilities to the build? Great work. Will build.

[@LabCoatz_Science]

This coil wasn't really designed for music, but if you wanted to add such a feature, just swap the staccato circuit with a suitable musical interrupter (0V to 12V squarewave signal). I wish I could give you a reference for a good musical interrupter setup, but I'm honestly still learning about it myself. I'm hoping my next Tesla coil tutorial will be on a "proper" DRSSTC with the classic fiber-optic music capabilities. Good luck on your build, hopefully my new coil will be out sooner than later!

[@AsdfirePL]

I built my PCB and it worked fine with the bridge on 12V AC (no sparks but it lit fluorescent tubes) when I connected it to 230 is blew fuses (maybe the TVS diodes got damaged then) after then connecting it to 12V again, traces leading to the bridge rectifier burned, the rectifier exploded, and the TVS diodes were cracked and shorted. From measuring resistances and diode mode with a multimeter the IGBTs seem ok, is it possible? I'll test the low voltage side, replace the traces burnt traces with wires, replace the rectifier and diodes. What could have caused this?

[@nearzero3806]

So I seen this article a while back that the army was trying to make it so they can aim lightning\electricity style weapons using lasers. It was called laser-induced plasma channels. I was wondering if you could use that to actually aim your tesla coils electrical output. Also be careful cause I don't want anybody to get hurt just in case you turn your coil into a lightning gun XD

[@tiagobraz7512]

Hello, good friend. I've been following your videos and content. Congratulations to you for the amazing videos. I have two questions regarding this circuit. If you could help me, I would be grateful. So.. how did you made your MMC bank and where did you put it? Thank you in advance for your response. Cheers from Portugal.

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Glad you liked the video! The MMC is easily made just like any other capacitor bank and should be rated for over 500v (capacitance depends on your secondary coil's frequency and primary coil design). It is simply wired in series with the primary coil off of the PCB. Hope that helps!

[@truchuynh53]

Hello, can you specify how you ground the circuit while in the box? If the electrical network does not have a ground wire, what should we do? Use a fake ground connection, like connecting to a metal table, for example? Is it okay to connect the secondary LV wire to the ground wire of the circuit and then lead it to ground?

[@morganchandler5126]

Ive always been curious about ramped operation of a drsstc ... some have told me because of the nature of a drsstc driver It would continuously blow switches. I've been wanting to build one for a while

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Hopefully this video helps satisfy that curiosity! I haven't blown a transistor but once, and that was when I was messing with it in the wrong way!

[@morganchandler5126]

@@LabCoatz_Science ill definitely be watching ... Keep coiling bro

[@LabCoatz_Science]

@@morganchandler5126 Thanks man, means a lot coming from a guy with a much better QCW than me, lol!

[@rexford9019]

Years ago my father was going to make a Tesla coil with vacuum tubes. He had 36 gauge double cotton covered magnet wire for the secondary. Where can you buy that now? I think 36 gauge enameled magnet wire on will work if you cover it with varnish.

[@jonathanfilip6498]

Merry Christmas man haha. I finally got the circuit to work but the output it weak (

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Try swapping the primary coil connections, increasing the coupling, checking you secondary coil connections, and maybe using a longer breakout point. Those could all help establish a longer output. And yes, a 2.5cm GDT is just fine.

[@davestewart2433]

Great stuff man. I bought everything exactly as you. Had your PCB printed, even the same power supply I got. When I turn on the power to the board (no primary or secondary for now), it blows the house 20A breaker, every time. Any ideas other than up the breaker size?

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Glad to hear you're trying the build! Normally, this circuit draws under 5A at 240V (probably only 2.5A at 120V), so if the breaker blew, you most likely wired the GDT incorrectly, which causes the IGBTs to simply short-circuit (even without a primary coil) and die. I recommend swapping the wires on one of the GDT secondaries and replacing the IGBTs (and probably the TVS diodes, if you used them). Good luck!

[@davestewart2433]

@@LabCoatz_Science That's an impressive response time. lol. Yeah, I was just about to tear into the GDT, I was so careful too. I did use the TVS as recommended. I am going to check them, not sure they are blown just yet. I did buy spares, also as suggested. I really appreciate the quick response. I am gonna get this thing sparking!..

[@Stoneman06660]

My only criticism of this most excellent video is: Buy some decent solder!!! Good show!

[@LabCoatz_Science]

I will have to consider, although I think my iron was the main issue: the head REALLY needs replacement!

[@davestewart2433]

Quick question, "Some 1kV or higher film capacitors to set up the MMC bank (I recommend buying a set of ten 0.01uF capacitors)". I got these too but I don't see where you are using them from the instructions or on your PCB. Thanks.

[@LabCoatz_Science]

They don't go on the PCB, you simply wire them in series with the primary coil.

[@supriyode8716]

Hey man, Im trying to build a run off the mill DRSSTC. I was wondering if I could put my IGBTs in parallel in the half bridge inverter for increased current flow through the primary. Would that be okay or a huge "NO-GO!", or maybe somewhere in the middle?

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Somewhere in the middle, honestly. Assuming the extra transistors don't load down the gate driver circuit (probably won't), the slight differences in transistor switching characteristics will cause one of the paralleled IGBTs to take more of the switching abuse, causing it to fail at roughly the same rate as it would with just one IGBT. Overall, paralleling transistors is not a great option in any Tesla coil. Hope that helps!

[@Gacha.Cupcake]

Thank you I have a question Are the primary and both secondaries wound in the same direction?

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Not necessarily; it doesn't really matter

[@victoroliveira4365]

@LabCoatz, hi, congratulations on your projects. I reproduced this coil, but I can't adjust the pulses. I used 74hc74n in place of 74hct74n. could that be it?

[@Gacha.Cupcake]

By the way, I ordered the PCB from your files but my board us different than yours. For example, my board doesn't have the swutch you showman yours? Did I get the wrong version of the PCB files? Thanks

[@LabCoatz_Science]

No, the switch was found to be unnecessary, so it was removed from the PCB designs.

[@dudetapedtoafridge3073]

I just built the coil and everything is working great but the output is pretty low and i can't seem to find the problem. Anything you recommend to get this beast going? Btw i checked through everything you recommended in the plans

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Glad to hear you built it! If you aren't already, you could try feeding it 240VAC. In my experience, 120VAC only results in sparks under 12" long. You could also try increasing the coupling to 0.3 or higher (raise the primary coil closer to the center of the secondary), adding a topload, or adjusting the tuning by increasing/decreasing the turns on the primary coil. That's about all I can think of, hope that helps and good luck!

[@average8873]

absolutely love the video but some of the instructions are a little unclear, under the parts list you mention this other capacitor that doesn't have a part link, is this connected somewhere other than the pcb? all of the parts in the list (beside the wire and stuff for the actual coil) are connected directly to the pcb right? there is no external capacitors or anything, just plug power in the pcb and go?

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Sorry for the wait, I didn't see this comment for a while! The other capacitor is just the resonant capacitor, which connects in series with the primary coil. I didn't include the link for a few reasons, but mainly because the capacitance you'd need depends on the tuning of your individual coil. I just bought a set of ten 2kV/22nF film capacitors off Amazon: www.amazon.com/10pcs-Metallized-Capacitor-0-022uf-22000pf/dp/B07N6Q2DNB?pd_rd_w=2N0j2&pf_rd_p=8e4731a7-b756-4530-8014-2f681a6d39bb&pf_rd_r=SXG4Q1737EA0ZEFMFTZ5&pd_rd_r=f1a99c65-c757-4cf4-b6d8-63eaeb2a0efc&pd_rd_wg=EPf43&pd_rd_i=B07N6Q2DNB&psc=1&ref_=pd_bap_d_rp_15_t And yes, other than the wire and power stuff, this is basically a plug-in-and-go type circuit. It works fine without tuning, but if you want the big sparks you see in this video, some minor tuning/tweaking of the primary coil/capacitors is required (nothing too scientific, just make adjustments until you get the largest sparks). Hope that answers your question!

[@Lucas_sGarage]

Would u mind sharing the design for the plasma channel pancake sstc? (Like PCB and list of parts?)

[@LabCoatz_Science]

I would, but Jay has reserved the files for his Patrons only. Since you seem interested though, I will say this: his circuit is identical to my first "real" SSTC (kzbin.info/www/bejne/sHTJXoOtjdh6lac). The only difference is my original PCB (which you can find the files for in that video's description) doesn't have an on-board rectifier/doubler circuit. Hope that helps, good luck!

[@dalel.d.9678]

Very cool! I gotta make me a couple of these. I see the link but I don’t see what file to send them to build the boards. I don’t see the bom either. If someone could direct me to those things I would greatly appreciate it. Good job, I have subscribed!

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Glad to hear you liked this project! Inside the file within the main .zip file you download, you'll find another .zip file titled "Staccato QCW PCB", and that is your Gerber file. Upload that file as a whole to your manufacturer of choice (I always recommend JLCPCB, because you can get a set of PCBs for $2 + $3 shipping), and you'll be good to go! I didn't make a BOM file for this circuit though, so you'll have to buy and mount all of the circuit components yourself.

[@mattiashedlund1135]

Would it be possible to scale this up using brick IGBTs and higher voltages but othewise keep the concept and get huge sparks?

[@spiderspider1384]

Hey dude , would i be able to use the stacatto circuit to switch a single mosfet . If yes how would i go on about doing it without killing components?

[@bocian0]

Let's gooo

[@raven_fpv]

I have all of the components plus your PCB board and I do not see much help in the video about the antenna you use, type and length, and also where does that 12vdc transformer go? Also the 2 POTs that are used, which terminals are used and how they are wires up.

[@tovergraftis]

Is there a place to see your physical connections between the PCB, 14V Transformer, MMC Bank, and Primary coil?

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Not really besides the schematic. It's very simple though: primary and MMC are in series and connected to the PCB's primary output, and the 12v transformer is directly connected to the 12VAC input. Hope that helps!

[@tovergraftis]

@@LabCoatz_Science That definitley provides some clarity. But is there any way you could add a top-down photo of both the PCB and inside the 3d printed enclosure to the instrucable or PDF?

[@inventorbrothers7053]

If you had a higher frequency ramp generator, would the spark length increase? And what would be the best ramp generator frequency, the secondary's resonant frequency?

[@LabCoatz_Science]

If you're referring to the PWM frequency in a "true" QCW circuit, there really is no effect on the spark length. This is mostly because the inductor and capacitor in the circuit smooth out the PWM, turning it into a purely-DC ramp with no high frequency component. The only thing that really effects spark length is the duration of the ramp (10-20ms is the usual ramp duration it seems). The PWM frequency should be moderately high frequency for best results (30-40kHz is usually best, but I've seen people go above and below this range). Hope that answers your question!

[@inventorbrothers7053]

@@LabCoatz_Science Actually I was referring to the frequency of the ramps, but yes that does answer my question. Thanks again!

[@TESLEX]

Hello! Would the staccato circuit work with an AC signal coming from an AC modified sinusoidal signal? Thanks a lot

[@LabCoatz_Science]

As long as the staccato receives the same rectified AC voltage that the inverter gets, it should function (of course, the voltage signal to the staccato must be around 12-14V, since higher voltages can kill the logic circuitry). If you feed a random signal to the staccato circuit, it will interrupt in time with it, but if the signal is out-of-phase with the rectified AC powering the coil, you might as well just use a standard interrupter, since the results will be chaotic and messy. Hope that helps!

[@TESLEX]

@@LabCoatz_Science Thanks a lot !!!! You are the BEST!

[@AsdfirePL]

I would like to build this and have three questions. 1. Does the IGBT have to be insulated from the heatsink or can it be attached directly with just thermal paste? 2. Can I test the low voltage side by not having power on the bridge, providing some signal for the antenna and then measuring the GDT outputs, etc with an oscilloscope? 3. Can I run the bridge at 12V (from a separate transformer) for initial tests?

[@LabCoatz_Science]

The IGBTs don't require insulation between them and the heatsinks (since two separate heatsinks are required), and yes, you can power the bridge with 12V and apply your own signals to the antenna.

[@AsdfirePL]

Thank you for the reply@@LabCoatz_Science my coil is from a previous attempt at some other driver which was failed, it's 11cm diameter, 38 cm winding length with about 1400 turns (calculated not counted) , duct toroid, teslaTC gave me a frequency of about 170kHz I think. I'll start with more turns on the primary 9 or 10 (that reduces stress on components right?). I don't care as much about the size or straightness of the arc since it's still my first coil, the number of primary turns can be still reduced later to get bigger arcs. I should aim for having the MMC set in a way that the primary is more detuned than normal so 85% or lower frequency than secondary when using antenna?

[@mattiashedlund1135]

@@AsdfirePL I read on other SSTC sites that running the gate driver chips (UCC37321/2) without any FETs (or IGBTs) connected to the GDT can damage them. Something about they start to self oscillate and burn out. They recommend puttng some resistors instead of the FETs if running the driver side for initial test. Maybe this applies just for higher power variants.

[@jordanranstead3016]

I just finished the build and turned it on to find it has around 1-2 inch sparks. It seems to have the biggest sparks when it first turns on then quickly shortens to 1 Inch. I then flipped the wiring of the primary and got no output at all? Could I have possibly killed my igbts? I checked and it doesn't appear I have a loose connection anywhere(or any burns on the board. Igbts visually look fine)

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Flip the primary coil back to normal and try with a longer antenna, higher primary coil coupling, longer breakout point, and maybe mess with the number of turns on the primary coil. If sparks are being produced, the circuit is most likely fine and your setup just needs a little tweaking.

[@chbonnici]

I would like to build on but none the links work . please advice. Very nice project.

[@LabCoatz_Science]

I'm not sure how to help in this case, since the links still work for me and most other people. Try this one: drive.google.com/file/d/11MJa5GTr7-2HdkTSjfyX_S2E6avNrjo8/view

[@RAVI171175]

I personally think that it's about high time your next move should be on a full bridge DRSSTC & that too you diy a musical converter same as that of Kizer power using an opamp 741 + a 555 timer. I think it would be awesome when you'll have it play very good square music Zach. What do you say? Isn't that a good idea? You just can't get enough playing around with Tesla Coils.. You keep learning through those DIYs. Hope what I've said holds the truth for you too. Well, hope you are fine mate. Cheers.

[@LabCoatz_Science]

I'm sure I'll do a DRSSTC at some point, but for now, I am low on funds and very busy with pre-existing project commitments. I am, however, finishing work on a video featuring my latest class-E SSTC, which can be adjusted to play music much like a flyback transformer "plasma speaker" (through FM modulation of an ultrasonic carrier wave created by the interrupter). If all goes well, that video will be out before Christmas!

[@RAVI171175]

@@LabCoatz_Science Wow. Will be waiting for it then. Take care. Cheers.

[@RAVI171175]

@@LabCoatz_Science Fly Gas did a superb QCW, an amazing build. Don't know if you've seen his very short video.

[@alexcaleal9025]

Hello !! I am trying to use an inverter (12VDC to 230VDC) for outdoor operations. What ground should I use for the low voltage circuit? Because my inverter does not have a ground like the house's mains. Thanks a lot !!!

[@LabCoatz_Science]

You can just use the earth as ground (a literal piece of metal stuck into the ground is fine).

[@alexcaleal9025]

@@LabCoatz_Science Thanks a lot!! Greetings from Spain!

[@StormScienceWx]

Hey Zach! Would you ever consider building one and selling it? I definitely have an interest!

[@marksworkbench8705]

Is it possible to make this music capable? I'm no sure if I should build this or your other sstc

[@LabCoatz_Science]

You could try, but you'd lose the ramped sparks. This circuit would do it better than my older SSTCs though, since the flip-flop keeps the interrupter from switching when current is flowing. However, I am currently working on an even better, smaller, and cheaper SSTC that can play music! It uses only one MOSFET instead of two IGBTs, and it doesn't even need a gate-drive transformer! If all goes well, it will even be able to do plasma flame operation.

[@alexcaleal9025]

Hello ! I am trying to calculate more precisely the parameters of the coil. How do you calculate the peak current? The turn on time is around 4 to 5 milliseconds. In a normal DRSSTC it usually ranges from 100 to 200 microseconds. What formula do you use to calculate the peak current in the case of a ramped DRSSTC? In a normal DRSSTC it is Vmmc = Ip/(2π×fxLpri). From there you calculate Ip. But in ramped SSTC I don't know how to do it. Thank you very much !!!

[@LabCoatz_Science]

For models with secondary feedback like mine, I just calculate the impedance of the primary circuit using an online calculator (this value depends on the primary inductance, resonant capacitor capacitance, and secondary resonant frequency). Then, I divide the peak voltage (170v for rectified 120v and 340v for rectified 240v) by the impedance to get the peak current. In theory, you could also add the parasitic resistance found in the IGBTs, wires, and capacitors, but I never do.

[@alexcaleal9025]

@@LabCoatz_Science Thank you very much!! I was going crazy trying to calculate the peak current correctly

[@gertasgh4841]

Is it possible to make a drsstc tesla coil without the qcw. Because I really like the adjustable sparks from your sstc tesla coil.

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Yes, just give the circuit smoothed DC instead of unsmoothed mains power (which is what creates the long, straight sparks). To get smoothed DC, of course, you'd need a full bridge rectifier or a voltage doubler. This circuit should work quite well as a proper DRSSTC (that is, with primary feedback instead of antenna feedback), but the sparks will be quite a bit shorter and louder without the mains ramping. Hope that answers your question!

[@gertasgh4841]

@@LabCoatz_Science Thanks, so I can't use antenna feedback? If I build such a drsstc without qwc, are the sparks longer than a sstc. And is it possible to remove the qwc components?

[@LabCoatz_Science]

@@gertasgh4841 You can use antenna feedback (as I have done here), but your coil will be more likely to die if you tune the primary circuit more precisely. And yes, the sparks should be longer than a typical SSTC, but not INSANELY longer (i.e. if you get sparks twice as long as a SSTC, that would be impressive). In regards to the "QCW" components (I assume you mean the staccato interrupter), yes they can be removed and replaced with a normal interrupter setup to give you a typical DRSSTC.

[@gertasgh4841]

@@LabCoatz_Science Thanks for commenting so fast, but what is soft and hard switching if the igbt's get dc voltage how are they switched off? I am new to electronics so I only know the basic things, but your video explained it very well.

[@klenor8650]

hi friends.. do you use a mmc capacitor in series with the primary coil?

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Yes, you can see that in the circuit diagram I provided.

[@corkymork]

I want to build this, BUT after examining the schematic and pc layout I'm concerned about the 74HCT74 flipflop. The Vcc (5 volt power}, pin 14 isn't connected! What's up with that?

[@LabCoatz_Science]

I truly have no idea why, but that is correct setup. Every Loneoceans SSTC/DRSSTC schematic I've studied showed no connection to the VCC pin of the 74HCT74, so I just followed his directions and it worked flawlessly!

[@corkymork]

Mystery solved! I redrew the driver part of the schematic to see how the circuit works, then it occurred to me that CMOS ics typically have clamping diodes on the inputs. The D and preset pins are connected to 5 volts and can power the chip via the clamping diodes. I’ll connect the power pin to 5 volts just to be sure..

[@LabCoatz_Science]

@@corkymork Yes! I just looked back at the schematic recently, and the VCC should be connected to +5V. Sorry for the confusion, the connection was somewhat isolated in loneoceans' schematic, so I failed to notice it. The circuit works basically the same without it connected (as you can tell by my video), but you should connect the VCC to +5V if you build this circuit yourself. Hope that clears things up!

[@WOJTACH27]

Awesome project, I have almost all of parts to assemble it in few days. One question that I have, on schematics, between mosfet drivers and IGBT's, it says ferrite to be 25cm, shouldn't that be 25mm? 25cm is about 10", it would be as big as the circuit board itself (157mm)

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Awesome, glad to hear you're taking on this project! Yes, the ferrite should be 25mm (in fact, I'm not sure anybody sells 25cm ferrite toroids).

[@WOJTACH27]

can you provide information on what is required not to get shocked? is it not be grounded (isolated from ground), frequency, or not being in contact with return path? Where can i find this info?

[@LabCoatz_Science]

@@WOJTACH27 As long as you don't touch the PCB while it is on, you'll be fine. There is no possible way for the secondary coil to shock you (in fact, you'd be hard-pressed to feel the sparks at all, unless you touch them bare-handed).

[@WOJTACH27]

...so output from secondary, at high freq (20 khz +) will not create a shock, correct? (Not counting rf burns) Doesn't matter if there is return path or if I am grounded.

[@LabCoatz_Science]

@@WOJTACH27 that is mostly correct. With this coil, I've never felt anything, but with larger lower frequency coils (below 100kHz) or coils with standard, unramped sparks, you might start to feel it. For instance, I could feel the sparks from my older SSTC and SGTC (they made my muscles tense slightly, but it was far from dangerous or uncomfortable).

[@jonathanfilip6498]

@LabCoatz hello. I’ve watched all your Tesla coil videos and wanted to try the qcw out. I got the parts and built it. I tested the feedback, driver and gdt but when I power it on nothing happens. Nothing blows up but I’d like to get some results. My guess is I’m not getting enough feedback. Also I’m not using a resonant capacitor (I want to get arcs before I test the cap). Can I plug the feedback directly to mains ground? If not you got any idea why it won’t work?

[@jonathanfilip6498]

My resonant freq of the secondary with top load is 339kHz. I’m able to make a simple slayer exciter at 12v with the coil which is how I determined this value and the coil outputs about 15kV. Any feedback would be great bc I barely know shit and I really like this to work

[@LabCoatz_Science]

@@jonathanfilip6498 Sorry to hear about the bad luck! If you built the circuit correctly and it's not working (but also not shorting out), then a few things could be wrong. It could just be a bad connection, but it could also be that your antenna is too short or not close enough to the secondary coil. In my coils, the antenna is at least 6" long and within a 6-12" range of the secondary. The feedback should not be connected to mains ground, since that would result in no feedback at all (since the ground is constantly at 0V). Also, I have a troubleshooting section on the Instructable I wrote up for this circuit, if that helps. And if you're using the PCB, make sure to connect the antenna to "ANT." and not "FEED.", since "FEED." is for feedback coils. Good luck!

[@jonathanfilip6498]

Thanks man I really appreciate it. I’ll check out the manual again haha. Im doing everything on breadboards for now. I’m gonna try to use the output to treat setting concrete with ExB the B being a permanent magnet. You think it’ll change the crystal structure? I do haha but I guess we’ll see

[@manreaper1238]

Is the result with staccato interrupter the same as with buck converter before halfbridge or is it worse?

[@LabCoatz_Science]

It honestly depends on the coil, but in general, a buck converter or phase-shift QCW setup will be far better. This staccato setup tends to max out with sparks 4X the secondary's length, but a "true" QCW can exceed 10X. Additionally, this staccato setup is limited to the peak current of the outlet (maybe 100A or lower, I imagine), while a "true" QCW gets as much current as the bus capacitor can supply (well over 100A).

[@dschemmel93]

What software do you use to make the schematics?

[@LabCoatz_Science]

None, they're all hand-drawn! Well...hand drawn in Paint.NET. I really liked the layout Loneoceans.com used in his SSTC 2 schematic, so I downloaded the image from his site. Now, whenever I need to draw up a new schematic, I simply open the old schematic on Paint.NET and copy/paste/rotate parts as needed. Some symbols had to be made up for my purposes though (like the TVS diodes, 74HC14, etc.). Most of the text is 9pt and 10pt bold "Consolas" font, if that matters to you. Hope that answers your question!

[@jonathanfilip6498]

Hey boss I’m still trying to get the circuit to work but nothing. I can turn up the voltage to max with no large current draw and the timer circuit seems to be working. Nothing has blown up but no sparks. It seems there’s no feedback in the system

[@LabCoatz_Science]

If everything is wired correctly and there are no bad connections, then the only culprits would be either bad antenna layout (too short or not close enough to the coil), a bad UCC driver, or the primary coil wires need to be switched.

[@jonathanfilip6498]

@@LabCoatz_Science is the antenna literally just a piece of magnet wire next to the secondary coil?

[@lifenotagame6718]

Hello zac! Does 2nd circuit parameters matter? Like tube width and height and the count of winding turns? Or can I just simply use one from prebuilt tc kits and expect similar sparks as yours? Thanks.

[@lifenotagame6718]

Also how long the primary circuit should be?

[@LabCoatz_Science]

@@lifenotagame6718 Any coil should work fine in this design, but as I mentioned, you'll get the best results if you tune the primary circuit closer to dual resonance. Most of this circuit is just "build however you want" kinda stuff (aka: the length of the primary coil doesn't matter).

[@lifenotagame6718]

​@@LabCoatz_Science Thank you! I wanted to understand more about mmc bank, so I watched this video : kzbin.info/www/bejne/jmjJoKZreteFqck He says that depending on how you conect them changes the total voltage and capacitance. So I want to ask you did you use only these 4 (6:34) 80nF 2kV capacitors? If so, it means that you got a total of 8kV AC and 20nF mmc bank. p.s. he mentioned that it is recommended to connect resistors in pararel to each capacitor, to discharge them after work and balance voltage between them. Have you known/thought about this?

[@LabCoatz_Science]

@@lifenotagame6718 My design used four 0.022uF/2kV capacitors in parallel, to give me around 0.08-0.09uF at 2kV. I never really use bleeder resistors on my MMC capacitors, only on large electrolytic capacitors (like the 470uF/250V ones in my last coil).

[@lifenotagame6718]

@@LabCoatz_Science Thank you very much for help. I almost have everything, but those igbts are pretty expensive (26$ for 4of em) and as this is first time im making a tesla coil, it can be not enough even the two spare of them (ill try to be very carefull, bet who knows how much of them burns) . Im curious if there’s a cheaper alternative , like mosfets? I was thinking of buying a 10pcs pack for 16$ from ebay, but they cant be original and as powerful as from mouser.

[@KlendorChannel]

hi friends. I don't know what type of ferrite core I'm using. I just . winding the cable 1 turn and producing 2uH. is this ferrite core suitable for GDT.?

[@LabCoatz_Science]

I truly have no idea. All I know is that the initial permeability should be around 2000 or more. Feel free to try your core in the GDT, but it might be easier and less troublesome to simply buy one of the GDT types I recommend in the instructional papers (available in the description).

[@KlendorChannel]

@@LabCoatz_Science ok..i will try it soon.i admire your drsstc qcw...very very beautiful.

[@treysmith6028]

Hey there Zach! Great video and design! Getting all the parts together to make my own coil. My question is, can I use a 17/18vac transformer for the low voltage side and just make sure to use a heat sink on the 7812 regular? Or would i need to beef up the regulator and the caps voltage rating as well?

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Hey Trey, glad to hear you're giving this circuit a shot! To my knowledge, 18VAC should be fine, so long as the electrolytic capacitors near the 7812 are rated for 30V or more (25V might be too little, since the peak voltage from 18VAC is just over 25V). There are actually many variations of the 7812 from multiple manufacturers, but from what I can see, all of them can handle 27V or more (some higher-end designs can handle 35V). I do recommend heatsinking the 7812 if you can though, since mine gets kinda warm with just 12VAC. Hope that helps, good luck!

[@treysmith6028]

Thank you for your response! I just got all my components ordered!😁 I do have one follow up question? You mention near resonance tuning for the primary coil, but how close can I be? My design has like a 1.2 ohm lc impedance. Thanks Zach!

[@LabCoatz_Science]

@@treysmith6028 In theory, you could tune it all the way to 0 ohms of impedance! Steve Ward's original DRSSTC used antenna feedback and it worked fine, so it shouldn't be a huge issue. Still, antenna feedback isn't as reliable as primary feedback, so problems are somewhat more likely to occur...1.2 ohms should be fine, in my opinion, although you are welcome to experiment!

[@treysmith6028]

I do plan to experiment for sure! Just finished putting together the driver. I do have one more question. When you are running it in 220 volt mode, how do you have the 12vac transformer wired? I ideally want to have one plug to power everything.

[@LabCoatz_Science]

@@treysmith6028 glad to hear it! In my build, I just had two separate inputs: one 120v line for my 12V transformer and one 240v line for the main circuit. This was just my choice though, I could have just ran the whole thing off 240v if I instead wired a 240v-to-12v transformer in parallel with the circuit's input.

[@Doctorlockpick]

What program do you use to generate your Gerber files?

[@LabCoatz_Science]

I use the EasyEDA website, simply because it is easy-to-use and free!

[@Doctorlockpick]

Cool.Thanks!

[@lordcozmos2582]

Hey LabCoatz, what AWG or gauge magnet wire do you use for the secondary? Also, did you link the 3D files somewhere so I could download and print the base?? Awesome build guide, definitely will be building my first tesla coil soon.

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Glad you liked the build! The secondary wire is 34AWG, and I just bought it from Amazon. And I just uploaded the 3D files! You can find them in the video description, if you're interested!

[@Gacha.Cupcake]

@@LabCoatz_Science how many turns?

[@LabCoatz_Science]

@@Gacha.Cupcake Five inches worth, I didn't count. If you need the number of turns, JavaTC has a built-in mini-calculator that will allow you to predict the number of turns for a given coil (of course, it assumes you know the thickness of the enamel coating on the wire).

[@Gacha.Cupcake]

@@LabCoatz_Science thank you. I will wind 32AWG on a 3.5” diameter ke an tube with a length of 5”. Typically I get 150 turns to an inch. So it should be somewhere around 750 or so turns. Some place I saw 5.5” which would make it about 825 turns.

[@RAVI171175]

Oh, hi dude, sorry 2 bother u again about something! Well, I already ordered your PCB from jlcpcb & while I was busy soldering some of the components, I then noticed something weird! In your schematic, you included those TVS diodes plus that MMC 100nF cap but in your PCB, you didn't make provision for them! Means that I'll not be able to use ur PCB then! Can I still use it without those components or it will not work properly? For the TVS diodes, I can solder them like u did but what about the MMC cap? What can I do bro? If I bypass the MMC cap, I think I'm not going to get great output!

[@LabCoatz_Science]

The TVS diodes get soldered directly to the IGBTs, like I showed, and the MMC capacitor(s) get wired in series with primary coil, as shown in the schematic.

[@RAVI171175]

@@LabCoatz_Science Thanks man. We'll, hope to see you soon with a new video on a real full bridge drsstc. Take care. Cheers & happy new year 2u & family. Stay blessed.

[@mattiashedlund1135]

The reason they are not on the PCB is that the diodes are soldered directly between the FETs legs and the MMC cap is connected directly to the primary coil. The MMC is usally made from several HV capacitors connected in parallell and series (to match your needed capacitance and voltage rating) and is made into a separate little box unit.

[@davidinsana4871]

Could you explain how to obtain these components, without having to buy large minimum quantities?

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Go to the links I provided in the downloadable instructions and pick the parts/how many you need.

[@taotao401]

hello could you tell me please the output tension of your primary on your pcb please because when I apply 110V I only have 70 V on the primary? Is it normal?(I'm French)

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Bonjour mon ami! Je ne sais pas si c’est normal ou non, je n’ai jamais testé la tension à travers ma bobine primaire! Cependant, je pense que c’est normal, car l’interrupteur rend la tension et le courant moyens inférieurs à la valeur de crête. Par exemple, si vous entrez 110V et qu’il est rectifié à environ 156V, mais que votre interrupteur commute à 45% (45% du temps est passé "sur" et 55% est passé "off"), alors la tension moyenne que votre compteur mesurera sera d’environ 70V. J’espère que cela aide! Hopefully that was understandable, I just wanted to goof around with Google translate. In short, yes, I do think this behavior is normal if the interrupter is running normally!

[@taotao401]

@@LabCoatz_Science thanks you I think I have a problem with the resonance frequency of my primary and secondary Java tc is hard to use when you are French 😭 Thanks you have a good day.

[@taotao401]

@@LabCoatz_Science I've found that my diodes(1N4148) between the IGBT are dead so i'm gona replace them and hope it will finally works

[@taotao401]

@@LabCoatz_Science and another question the mmc bank is juste capacitors in séries ?

[@LabCoatz_Science]

@@taotao401 an MMC could be any bank of small capacities whether in series or parallel

[@davidinsana4871]

I can't get your parts list over to Digi-Key. How do I change to PDF?

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Not sure I understand...the parts list is a list of links found in the instructions (a PDF file). It's not a separate file that can be uploaded to Digikey (or Mouser). The links take you to a general page on whichever website you choose, where there are a number of suitable options for each part. You'll essentially have to choose each of your parts individually. I did it like this because last time when I linked to specific parts, some parts went out of stock or off market. Hope that answers your question somewhat!

[@davidinsana4871]

@@LabCoatz_Science Yes Sir, thanks for your reply and patience. I'm excited to get this done! You have impressive knowledge of electronics, thanks for your willingness to pass on these gems! I wish I had you as a professor in the early 80's!

[@neayt9952]

do you know when jay is uploading a video on this?

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Not sure, I'm going to send him a PCB though! The video he's currently working on is of my last SSTC.

[@neayt9952]

@@LabCoatz_Science Oh okay, Thank You. I will probably use this driver with my coil

[@PlasmaChannel]

As soon as I can get the circuitry to work with the topography / design that i'm using, my video will be out. I was hoping it would be out two weeks ago lol.