Use for the Tesla Switch

[mbrownn]

I haven't built a Tesla switch but from what I know works in devices that use a similar component, I can tell you that this is very important. The transformer has to be very low resistance yet have sufficient inductance to work efficiently. If your resistance is higher the frequency of your switch will have to be higher and your output will be lower. If your inductance is too low your output power will be low. It is a trade off between one and the other. Follow Matts instructions to the letter and you have a good chance of making it work.

[Turion]

Thanks Matt.
Glad I asked before I wound it. I didn't see anywhere in all the previous info that it mentions putting the coil together this way, but now I know. And I bet I've read through this entire thread at least three times now, which doesn't include going through and cutting and pasting your comments into that word document I made. So if I don't know something, it's not because I haven't done the reading, just a lack of understanding or poor memory. That happens when you get old.

I may not get much done today. My power will be cut off any minute to switch my electrical panel out to a 200 amp service. The house is about 90 years old and I am redoing all the electrical wiring and starting with a new panel, Everything in my basement shop has been running off one extension cord and the first order of business will be to wire it for lights, switches and wall sockets. I'm kinda excited about that. I've had a power strip plugged in with all kinds of short extension cords hooked up to it, using one for lights and the other ones to go to tools, but only running one at a time so I don't blow the 15 amp breaker, which also serves another room in the house.

Finally I will have a shop that actually somewhat resembles a shop.

I should have the transformer wired up by tomorrow. I thought about it a lot last night. I can see it is going to be a challenge. I'm making sure all the rough edges are taped with teflon tape before I even begin. I don't want to have to redo that job!

mbrownn,
Thanks for the advice. If there is one thing I do, it is follow directions. If Matt tells me to buy a purple spotted cow, I will be on the internet searching for one. Some of this he has left to our imagination. He just said switches. Relays can be used as switches, transistors can be used as switches, etc. If he had said get a specific switch, I would have ordered it already. My problem is, the more I'm on my own for this stuff, the more likely I am to screw it up. My experience with electrical is limited to wiring houses. That's why I'm so excited that Matt is the one who came up with this. He actually gives a crap that people are able to duplicate his stuff successfully

By the way, for those interested in purchasing your bridge rectifier instead of making your own, here is a place 40 AMP 600 VOLT BRIDGE RECTIFIER | AllElectronics.com


David Bowling

[Matthew Jones]

By the way, for those interested in purchasing your bridge rectifier instead of making your own, here is a place 40 AMP 600 VOLT BRIDGE RECTIFIER | AllElectronics.com


David Bowling

Build your bridge with the diodes I listed. Ultrafast and hyperfast diodes have properties that later on will be very useful. They also keep the potential UP because they only have a .2 volt drop. Regular diodes or bridges like that one will drop between 1.2 and 2.4 volt. This doesn't help anything in the long run.

Matt

[Turion]

Matt,

Thanks again. This is why we pay you the big bucks. You know all this crap and keep the rest of us from making silly mistakes. I ordered diodes this morning, so they should be here in a few days.

My project for today (and who knows how long it will take) will be to get my coil wrapped. I will keep track of the lengths of wire I use on the Radio Shack coil, so I can report out and maybe save some other folks guesswork in the future. It is my understanding that we want as much wire as will fit on the transformer, but that one wire has to be 20% longer that the other two. So I will start with 100, 100, and 120 feet and see how well that fills up the transformer. If it is too much, I can always adjust the lengths. If it is not enough, I will at least have a starting place from which to make a solid guess for the next attempt.

Regardless, I will post my results.

[Matthew Jones]

@ Turion

Email me I have that schematic ready but I am out of town and forgot to setup my FTP client to hook up to my website. I do not have the space to post anymore pictures. I'll send it to you and you can post it for the short term.


Cheers
Matt

[sureking]

Hello all,

This is my first post here. Enjoying reading here. Thanks Matt for the part lists.

I found some website selling the magnetic wire which is cheaper than other places I found online.

You guys may already know it, but here it is:
cPath_9 | Applied Magnets : Magnet Wire & Magnet Wire Spools - discount wholesale prices.

One question about the batteries. I have some golf car batteries with the specs:

Model No. : CR-245
Voltage : 6V
AH Rating : 245 (20HR)
AH Rating : 209 (5HR)

Can I use 4 of these batteries or it has to be 12V and about 100 amp hour ones?

Thanks,
Peter

[Turion]

Matt,

E-Mail sent. Will post when I get it.

Edit: Got it. Posting it now

[Matthew Jones]

Hello all,

This is my first post here. Enjoying reading here. Thanks Matt for the part lists.

I found some website selling the magnetic wire which is cheaper than other places I found online.

You guys may already know it, but here it is:
cPath_9 | Applied Magnets : Magnet Wire & Magnet Wire Spools - discount wholesale prices.

One question about the batteries. I have some golf car batteries with the specs:

Model No. : CR-245
Voltage : 6V
AH Rating : 245 (20HR)
AH Rating : 209 (5HR)

Can I use 4 of these batteries or it has to be 12V and about 100 amp hour ones?

Thanks,
Peter

No you can use them. If your going to wind a transformer that puts out 12 volt instead of 6v I can give you instructions as to how to step up the voltage so you can run 12 volt loads. It may not be as efficient though I am not sure I have not tried to step up voltage yet.

If you have 8 golf cart batteries you can wire them in series also.

Thanks for posting your questions.
Matt

[Matthew Jones]

This is the schematic for the small switch. You can change the transistors but make sure they are at least as god as the MJL21194's listed.
I also have several variations on this coming in the write up.

Again the transformer is the model listed in the shopping list from radio shack and rewound with #20 awg. 3 wires 1 20% longer than the others.

When I get home next week I'll give the exact count, when I actually wind one up again.

Cheers
Matt

[hiops]

@ Matthew Jones
Hi, Matthew! Thank you for sharing this. I have everything, for this except Stamp 2e and transformer, and I'm going to buy them and build it. I have some questions :
1 Is Stamp 2e self programming or I should buy special programming device for it ?
2 I analyzed the schematic and see that only 2 top batteries are charging and two bottom ones always in discharging mode and never got to be charged. Could you explain how it works, I definitely am missing something here.
And I'm waiting for the schematic for the big one, i will be building that too.
Alex

[Turion]

Matt,

With all the time and effort people like you and Bits have put into providing info on how to build this thing, I can't believe there aren't more people lining up to take a crack at it. From what I can see, this is one of the few sites on the forum that has actually produced a product that people can replicate that actually DOES something. I'm baffled.

Regardless, I'm going to be messing with it for quite a while. I got my "Basic Stamp Kit" from Radio Shack, which was $99.00. It is the Parallax and it includes the "Basic Stamp Homework Board". Mounted on it is the "Basic Stamp 2" module, but not the 2e module you mention on the diagram. Do I need to go ahead and order a board with the 2e module or will the "Basic Stamp Homework Board" with the " Basic Stamp 2" module work? As simple as what we are trying to do is, I don't know why it wouldn't, but I thought I better ask. Better safe than on fire I always say.

I'm just sitting down to read the instruction book, and I still have to wind my transformer, so I have lots of time to do whatever I need to do to be successful. My caps and diodes are on their way.

David

[Matthew Jones]

@ Matthew Jones
Hi, Matthew! Thank you for sharing this. I have everything, for this except Stamp 2e and transformer, and I'm going to buy them and build it. I have some questions :
1 Is Stamp 2e self programming or I should buy special programming device for it ?
2 I analyzed the schematic and see that only 2 top batteries are charging and two bottom ones always in discharging mode and never got to be charged. Could you explain how it works, I definitely am missing something here.
And I'm waiting for the schematic for the big one, i will be building that too.
Alex

The stamp needs a serial cable and serial hookup. You can download software to write the code in PBasic.

You right about the batteries and in the small setupp your going to see an exchange of energy between the 2 sets. You can rotate manually when they get a ways apart in voltage or later I am going to go over the 6 battery setup that allows for 2 resting batteries so as batteries charge they kicked into a rest position and the discharged ones get kicked into ect...

Wat happens though is the top batteries get to to certian voltage and the bottom ones start sucking that charge from the top ones. Basically they hit an equilibrium at which they no longer charge or discharge they just stick.
You can get really long run times out of it.

The point is to show you and get you building a very simple basic switch. So you can learn to tune it to the load and know how everything works. Later you can go onto different switching setups. In fat thats the plan. Try to get everybody going in the same direction so we have more researchers looking into the few problems that exist while using the system.

Follow me?

Matt

[Matthew Jones]

@David

That board is fine. I was just trying to save people money. But in the meantime you can go through the book and do the little projects. Its good start. Later you'll be able to use that thing for a lot of different setups.

Its defendantly the way to go forward.

You would be surprised how many people do not post and still do the project.
I need a bigger inbox.

Matt

[Matthew Jones]

SO here is 2 more schematics for a small switch. The first is relay based, the second is a Sziklai pair. The Sziklai pair switch is going to give you some of the strongest results and it can be switched On for about .5+- volt. On the other hand the Relay based one is dirt simple but not meant to run more than 5 amp, Make sure to heat sink them if you go higher. The SSR can be purchased from Digikey.

Anyway you have any questions let me know.

Cheers
Matt

[Guruji]

Tesla Switch

Is there a more simple tesla switch that work too?
Thanks