Originally posted by drak
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Here is some info on comparing different HF conductors used for TC's:
Experiment to compare the AC resistance of primary inductors.
Primary AC resistance measurements
Conclusions:
1/4" copper tubing is a very good choice for primary coils. I'd recommend using the closest spacing possible. Do not under any circumstances use stranded or braided wire. Unresolved is if, and to what degree, unused outer turns and two-layer construction affect the AC resistance.
Also note that while this study gives definitive rankings to the AC resistance of various conductors and geometries, the actual impact to one's Tesla coil's performance was not addressed. It may be that spark gap losses are so far in excess of primary losses that the actual impact of conductor choice is negligible. Or quite possibly not.
1/4" copper tubing is a very good choice for primary coils. I'd recommend using the closest spacing possible. Do not under any circumstances use stranded or braided wire. Unresolved is if, and to what degree, unused outer turns and two-layer construction affect the AC resistance.
Also note that while this study gives definitive rankings to the AC resistance of various conductors and geometries, the actual impact to one's Tesla coil's performance was not addressed. It may be that spark gap losses are so far in excess of primary losses that the actual impact of conductor choice is negligible. Or quite possibly not.
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