Mindphreak Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 I am currently constructing a tesla coil from homemade and storebought parts. In the past, I made a jacobs ladder but the transformer stopped functioning properly. Its rated for a secondary voltage of 15000 v and sometimes the ladder will work and other times the transformer will only buzz. Firstly, is their any way to restore the transformer back into working order? Also, how can I protect the transformer so I dont have to keep buying more nst's? Will a spark gap cover it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lja Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 The transformer is most likely fried. Below is a link to a Tesla coil page . Scroll down a bit and you'll see a section devoted to your exact problem. http://amasci.com/tesla/tc.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HazzWold Posted July 11, 2010 Share Posted July 11, 2010 Google "Terry Filter" It is a design for protecting NST's in Tesla coil applications. Is your NST iron cored or solid state ferrite cored? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electronics Posted September 1, 2010 Share Posted September 1, 2010 Well what original use was the transformer for? and what sort of output current are we looking at. If it's a NST (Neon Sign Transformer) check if it has a GFI which could cause the power to cut out because it detects fluctuating currents on the ground back to the transformer. If there is a GFI it shouldn't be too hard to remove. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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