Tesla Forums

I'm not completely sure what your asking. All I know anyway is that the "Newer, small NSTs are actually solid state power supplies that are unsuitable for Tesla coils" (teslacoildesign.com). In my case, current would run through the circuit, put the capacitor bank would not charge. When I bought a new (or rather old) NST, it worked, and it worked great. Not sure why or how, but that's what happened.

Oh, these SSNT's, or Electronic  Ballasts, just don't cut it. Perhaps the load of a cap is too sudden. All NT's of all types are designed for a "soft" turn-on, like a tube. I also know the SSNT's are not designed for full load/no load/full load/no load for repetitive cycles.Even Switching power supplies are meant to turn-on at 1/3 load (minimum), then run continuously at 1/3 to full load, not to be switched  like that. Perhaps a current limit is shutting them down.  I don't think it's a good idea to try and modify it, as I worked on switching power supplies (their "little brothers" ) for years, and possibly they are built that way to save money. The fact they weigh Nothing compared  to transformer-type NT's shows me the ferrite transformer/choke in them is not very beefy. I think most are probably made in China, so that would be For Sure.

I'm surprised your 6.5  kv transformer actually broke the spark gap. Congratulations! Probably it put out AC, so the capacitor was a very weird load to it and it shut down. It was built for purely resistive loads.

If they had beefier construction, to put out full current even into a  virtual short, they would cost too much.  There would be no advantage or cost reduction over a transformer type except noise/weight/bulk . Plus, I Know they fry Instantly on a T.C unless well-protected. Even then, I don't know. Do they put out D.C or High-Frequency A.C.?  If Hi Freq AC, no amount of protection will work unless switching frequency is very far from the  T.C. resonant frequency.  Most Switchers run about 15-25 kC (15.750 is a TV flyback frequency--new TV's use it as a switching power supply for all voltages.) My T.C. runs about 250 kC.  So, a filter could be made. (I'm going to re tune mine to work in the experimental band; where any interference is ok.)

I can't seem to find a schematic  for these. I wondered it they had a voltage multiplier in them, but maybe only one stage.  I don't think they have several stages. Any voltage multiplier, especially half-wave, can't take a lot of current unless given a lot of AC input power. Most are for high potential Only. (By the way, all those schematics in Popular Electronics, Nuts'n'Volts, etc are Wimpy...use a Neon transformer on inputs to put out Any Visible spark.) They are for TV sets, ionizers, etc. That could explain a shutting-down, but I didn't notice any residual DC on mine when I shut it down, l no load. That would indicate a bleeder resistor or AC output.  Bleeders at high voltages get expensive, so I think mine put out AC.



I bought  a  SSNT for $5 at a garage sale. It's  total  output was 9KV, C.T. at 30 mA.  Never tried in in a T.C.  A watch repairman exchanged his old, shorted  Transformer type N.T. for my installing it.  I think, good trade.