Donald L Smith

[mlurye]

I am not even clear that the circuit actually works, the way DS set it up. But I will find out what my L is and get a cap to match it to ~37kHz.

Although, that's not how this is all supposed to work, at least according to DS. The NST frequency is irrelevant and what matters is the L1/L2 ratio and their frequency.

amigo,
yes L1/L2 ratio is important, but also you have C1/C2 for fine tuning. As I understood your spark arrestor getting you 37kHz frequency and my understanding is F1(L1C1)=F2(L2C2)=F(spark arrestor).

P.S. your NST is good, I don't think mid point in NST will make any difference.

[deggers]

About coupling

In a search for information about coil coupling, I found the following:

"If the coupling of the standard two coil Tesla oscillator is increased to yield more efficient power conversion, then the resonator and the primary will interact in a manner that causes frequency splitting and the energy is now spread over a broader range of frequencies. This is definitely not desirable in tuned circuits! Tesla ultimately realized that if he could use a two coil oscillating system which was very tightly coupled and specially constructed to provide an extremely low impedance output, then he could simply inject this large quantity of oscillatory energy directly into the base of a third coil. This coil would be an ultra-efficient, low loss quarter wave resonator."

And:

"The coupling between the driver primary and the secondary is crucial to the operation of the system. It is the main distinguishing feature between a magnifier and a normal, classic two coil system. This is where all of the power handling capability of the magnifier is derived."

Both were obtained from here:Practical magnifier construction principles


Reading that I would consider Don's coils to be close coupled. Obviously Don was replicating Tesla's coil configurations from his high frequency experiments and patents. But these were before Tesla's Colorado experiments where he was working on the Magnifying Transmitter.

Has anyone read Richard Hull's book about Tesla's Colorado Springs experiments?

I need to review Tesla's lectures again.

Duane

[baroutologos]

I agree with Amigo, we do not even know if that device works anyway.
But from the high quality pictures the following FACts can be seen:

1) L1 is a resonator circuit in parallel mode.

2) L1 frequency (main frequency not harmonics) must be between 62 Khz (if he matched NST by putting a CORE inside L1 plastic or forced oscillation) to 250 Khz (without any core) I concluded to that using Tesla coil software and estimations.

3) There is not resonant coupling between the L1-L2. Only L1 is the resonator. L2 is a passive coil collecting energy.

In fact there is a 42nF cap at the top-part of the L2 middle taped coil. Again, this cap cannot work in a resonance mode since only it will work half cycle.

Actually, the only circumstances that the L2 could operate at resonance is only its TOP part, L2(1) (that has the capacitor) and when the storage capacitors are filled, or in other words when the L2(1)C2 tank circuit's voltage is lower than the storage caps' voltage.

Observations

a) Don says a lot of things as the L1/L2 length match. In fact in case he knows something i do not, regarding standard resonance, the L1/L2 lengths of that particular device concerning those frequencies are irrelevant for noting node-points. It does not hurt anyway to follow this advice.

b) I can also note that the 1/4 anology exists for each of L2 middle-tapped parts of the particular device.
L1 is 5 turns and L2-parts are 16-17 turns each. Considering the wider diameter of L2, then we have a 1/4 analogy. Totally, there is a 1/8 relationship for L1 - both L2 parts. (check photos)

The theory,

Don's Sayings bottom line, (according to his book) regarding how this extra energy is created is via high-frequency, high-voltage resonant trasnformer action using ground.

So if we are to invastigate Don machines, this is the way to go IMO.

[bedinimotor]

Fixin to build a don smith energy device. I read somewhere you could get a transformer from a microwave oven to use as your high voltage device. would like to know how that works and how to hook it up. any help would greatly be appreciated. thanks Mike

[mlurye]

@baroutologos
1 more time. Don's tabletop device resonates at 200kHz (I built it and tested resonant frequencies for L1 and L2.1, it is exact 200kHZ for both)
L2 has 18 turns each.
@bedinimotor
I WOULD NOT advice you to use MOT, it has very high current draw comparing to NSTs.

[baroutologos]

Hey, you have built a replication? Cool! Can you share any photo?
bear in mind that, no-ones assures you that your built is Don's built (in case he does not hide any core or anything).

By the way, your findings are very reasonable i would say. Well within my poor estimates.

Can i ask few questions that are in my mind? What Q you enjoy on the primary? (meaning current magnification at what voltage range?)

Are your collection diodes ok at those frequencies?
any attempt to tap anything?

Have you came to any conclusion why he uses that particular L2 configuration from a practical point of view?

[mlurye]

Hey, you have built a replication? Cool! Can you share any photo?
bear in mind that, no-ones assures you that your built is Don's built (in case he does not hide any core or anything).

By the way, your findings are very reasonable i would say. Well within my poor estimates.

Can i ask few questions that are in my mind? What Q you enjoy on the primary? (meaning current magnification at what voltage range?)

Are your collection diodes ok at those frequencies?
any attempt to tap anything?

Have you came to any conclusion why he uses that particular L2 configuration from a practical point of view?

I built it, but it doesn't work yet. I don't have correct NST(I have 3kV with mid point) and may be it's part of my problem. Having hard time to tune it up.

I don't think that Don is hiding anything. All information about device available on youtube.

It's easy to build it, it's hard to tune it up.

Here are diodes I have 4x1A10kV High Voltage Diode HV Rectifier Tesla coil Ham - eBay (item 360227896137 end time Jan-27-10 03:13:57 PST).

[mlurye]

3kV NST with mid point works with 350V spark arrestor.

[amigo]

From my limited testing so far, I did not see the spark arrestor doing anything whatsoever, as per DS configuration.

Further more, the voltage drop over those diodes in L1 circuit appears to be significant. For the sake of argument, I replaced the MW oven diodes with standard 1N4007s (two each to get 2kV) and the voltage on L1 picked up by the scope probe went up but still nothing to write home, ie. could not excite the arrestor.

Why exactly do we need those diodes as I am not clear on their purpose, beside rectifying the NST output which provides us with exactly what? If there's no path to the ground via the arrestor, we aren't getting any sufficient oscillations in the L1 circuit, no?

Also, I do not believe that NST voltage matters, mlurye. If we are to believe this is all about amplification through resonance, then any startup voltage could be used, with a properly chosen arrestor.

I think in my next order from digi-key, I'll get a bunch of arrestors with different values and be able to test the effect.

In any case, I still think we should not be worried about, or bothering with, specific NST values or models, or trying to match its resonant frequency. It is there just as a source of HV not the source of oscillations, they are rectified by the diodes...

[mlurye]

amigo,
It's all depends on how you are planning to build the device.
Can you show the schema you are using to build it?

[amigo]

amigo,
It's all depends on how you are planning to build the device.
Can you show the schema you are using to build it?

Basically what the tabletop device is. Baroutologos posted a schematic of the primary circuit couple of pages back:

http://www.energeticforum.com/attach...ce_concept.jpg

I have only been experimenting with the primary stage, even though I wound a secondary already, I did not split it mid-point, might make another one.

I want to see what the primary does first as this configuration that DS showed in the tabletop device makes no sense to me, especially rectifying the NST output into DC voltage.

We need to somehow find out what was the value of the spark arrestor he used. That is if that tabletop device ever worked to begin with...

[mlurye]

amigo,
I don't think it's possible to make this schema work with spark arrestor.
But if you'll move one end of capacitor on other side of arrestor then it will work.

[amigo]

mlurye,

Would you be more clear, please? Move it where?

That schematic is basically drawn on what's visible on the high quality photos of the tabletop device.

If that configuration is wrong, then obviously the circuit does not work and it never did work and DS is full of ****.

Further more, I have just gotten a 9.5kV LowGlow neon transformer, used on cars for decorative lighting. It needs 12-14VDC so I feed it that through a SLA battery. Nothing else is changed in the circuit, as per the photos.

And yet NOTHING happens. My scope probe picks up nothing to write back home, just like with the previous test using much lower voltage (1.5kV).

So what gives?

I'll ask everyone again, whoever might know and understands: what is the purpose and point of those two diodes on the NST side? Why are we rectifying into DC, not to mention the siginificant voltage drop on the diodes in the process, etc?

[mlurye]

It's the way I connected it.

[baroutologos]

@ Amigo

I have also ordered the same NST amigo! Nothing happens huh? keep at it and try stuff!

@Mrulye

basically what you propose is a old-fashion tesla coil setup that has the spark-gap in series to LC1 circuit. As i am reading also from Tesla's colorado spring notes, it is necessary for raising the Q to eliminate the spark-gap from the LC circuit. Several schemas are proposed in the book.

But in Don case, the outline is pretty much self explained. The arrestor does not isolate coil from caps. Actually the coil-caps are tightly screwed together!

Secondly, DOn's receiving coil, has only 1 cap (fom resonating) the L2C2 part1. The second part has nothing (only diodes).

In any case, if we are not capable to resonate at least a part of the circuit to tremendous resonance (say 3Kv at 10 amps) then our devices do not have a chance.
...

The most optimistic scenario is that Don's device is a non functionable but shows the way to go. I should mention that when made the Tesla conference demonstration with the suitcase, he claimed is a scaled down version of the device examined, yet resisted fiercely at opening it.

So, we can safely conclude that the table-top device it is not the whole story. In my oppinion we should abandon listening to every one may he be Don or Kapanadze and focus to the pure light of this Technology that is Nikola Tesla.
Anyway, they use his name and attribute their inventions to him, yet refuse to discolse anything of value.