VACUUM TUBE TESLA COIL WITH 6P45S (EL509) TUBE
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One of my friends gave me an old tube 6P45S used in final stage of colour russian TVs. These tubes made by Svetlana are produced today as EL509 type. I thought to the possibility of building a new VTTC with it. The problem, as ever, was the unavalaibility of a plate transformer. I had not a MOT in my bunch of garbbage, so , I used my potential transformer fed by a 500 VA 220V/ 24V step-down transformer.
SCHEMA AND SPECS
DRAWINGS OF THE VTTC
RATTINGS FOR 6P45S (EL509) TUBE
RESULTS:      4 cm arcs to my hand (no electrocution sensation, only intense heat) and beautiful high frequency discharges in light bulbs (like a plasma torch)                           
PICTURES
ARCS
DISCHARGES IN LIGHT BULBS
The discharges become more bright and longer (max 5 cm arcs) if they are coloured with ionic salts (NaCl aq)
PICTURES
ARC PICTURES
Next steps: more power (my tube runs with black plate)....maibe a MOT
SECOND STEP
I used the same setup as above with some modifications:
1. Better grounding
2. Twice input voltage (2880 vac@400VA, rectifyed to 4060 VDC half cycles). Because the power is not very big, the tube runs with black plate, but I have some flashes inside the tube when I connect the high voltage (I think is because the EMP from my huge transformers).
3. A new and better grid 2 resistor (50 kohms@20 watts)
The resonance frequency is 540.7 kHz.
Results: 4 inches streamers in air and beautiful bushy discharge
ARCS 1: PICTURES
THIRD STEP
1.Toroid added, made with a rubber hose with glued ends and covered with aluminium foil, outer diameter = 25 cm (9.84"), section diameter = 2.2 cm (0.86"), C toroid = 8.2093 pF
2. Bigger primary cap Cp= 4.4 nF, tuning on 19-th turn (better coupling).
The resonance frequency = 322 kHz
Results: 12.5 cm (5 " ) arcs to a grounded rod)
ARCS 1: PICTURES
Next steps: moore power, longer secondary, maibe a twin VTTC
FOURTH STEP
I wound a new secondary for my VTTC. Specs are:
- diameter = 5 cm, R = 0.98 inches
- wound lenght = 46 cm = 18.11 inches
- N = 2500 turns with 0.125 mm diameter magnet copper wire
- L sec = 31605.413 microH
- C self = 6.0959 pF
- f res = 362.7 kHz
My initial primary had these characteristics:
- R = 2.75 inches
- wound lenght = 3.54 inches with plastic insulated 1.5 mm diameter copper wire
- N = 24 turns
- L pr = 72.4189 microH,     C self = 6.8562 pF
Because it was too small I had to wind a suplimentary primary coil on an intermediary PVC pipe. Specs:
- R = 2.16 inches
- wound lenght = 3.14 inches with 0.5 mm magnet copper wire
- N = 10 turns
- L = 9.1770 microH,     C self = 5.2717 pF
The primary cap I used was Cp = 763.8 pF
Input Power = 400 VA
Results : 4 inches streamers, 5.5-6 inches arcs to ground.
It is quite obvious. I need more power.
STREAMERS AND ARCS
ARCS TO GROUND
DRAWING AND SCHEMA