wasser_1@viking.DEC (John A. Wasser) (06/03/85)
Help for "biomed!lagasse" who had trouble getting the spark
in his Jacobs Ladder to climb:
I've built a few Jacobs Ladders with antique Ford spark coils,
neon sign transformers, etc. The spark climbs the electrodes
because the air above the spark is heated by the spark and
becomes a better conductor. The trick is to make the widening
of the electrodes gradual enough that the improvement in
conductivity of the heated air is not offset by the increased
width of the gap.
Make the change in electrode gap as gradual as you can without
having sparks starting in the middle.
-John A. Wasser
Work address:
ARPAnet: WASSER%VIKING.DEC@decwrl.ARPA
Usenet: {allegra,Shasta,decvax}!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-viking!wasser
Easynet: VIKING::WASSER
Telephone: (617)486-2505
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Mail stop: LJO2/E4
30 Porter Rd
Littleton, MA 01460