Extreme High Voltage: TinselKoil X : First Light, Hash on Input

Here’s a short video of my newest project, a small high-frequency solid-state Tesla coil.

WARNING: This circuit produces high voltage and high current, and is capable of causing bad RF burns, setting things on fire, and destroying sensitive equipment. So BE CAREFUL, it is not recommended as a “first” SSTC project for beginners!

The coil is powered by a single mosfet auto-resonating circuit with antenna feedback triggering, running from 12-24 volts input. The secondary has 550 turns of #33 magnet wire and the primary has 3 turns of #14 solid copper wire.

I noticed that the choke toroid on my power supply wiring was getting hot, so I decided to run it with battery power, and (after getting a painful RF burn on my finger) I noticed a very interesting effect.

You can imagine how difficult it might be to measure the _input power_ to a device like this, that puts so much high frequency high voltage high current hash onto the input lines, even when battery powered! I don’t think I’d want to connect an expensive oscilloscope directly to the input and most certainly not to the output of such a system. I’m actually worried about it ruining my batteries!

The E-field oscillations can be picked up easily from 3 feet away just using a shorted scope probe. The resonant frequency is around 780 kHz with the topload on, and around 900 kHz without the topload.

The basic circuit is a modification of one of Steve Ward’s sstc circuits. For the basic schematic, search google for “Steve Ward Micro SSTC” and you will find it. Thanks Steve!

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