.::Mini Coil::.

[Specs]

Power Supply - 10KV/23mA OBIT
Spark Gap - Three Gap Series Copper Pipe Gap
Primary - 4 15 degree plexiglass supports - 15 turns #14 copper wire
Capacitor - 2 500pF/30KV doorknob caps in parallel for 1nF total
Secondary Coil- 1" PVC pipe - approx. 800 turns #32 magnet wire - 3 coats of oil-based polyurethane
Topload - 2 "Erector Set" wheels mounted together

[Pictures]

Since these pictures were taken, the OBIT has died and has been resurrected. The tar came off with just a little chipping (took less than 10 minutes). What happened was the isolation broke down where the secondaries come closest to each other. But all is well now.

Here is the new obit that a friend gave to me (Thanks Chris!). I cleaned it up and sprayed on some automotive paint. This is what I have been using to power the new mini coil.

Recently, I completed a plasma globe powered by the mini coil for use during vacation bible school at my church. The mini coil is completely enclosed in a wooden box. A light fixture is mounted the the removable lid, and in this picture a 200W clear incandescent light is shown.

For plasma globe operation, the spark gap is closed down considerably, and a small PC fan is used to aid in quenching. Otherwise, arcs up to 3 inches long can be drawn from the light. Here is a nifty animated GIF that I created showing the plasma globe in operation.

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