2 kilowatt Jacob's Ladder. 15,000 volts

[Alciaeda]

I haven't got a clue what it is but it looks neat :)

[Nvidiaguides]

This is 0.75 amps isn't it?

[ct92404]

@Nvidiaguides

No, the output is 15,000 volts at about .12 amps. Remember, transformers convert voltage and current, but the overall power remains the same. So 120 volts x 3.75 amps input = 1,800 Watts and is the same as 15,000 volts x .12 amps. The power (1,800 watts) is the same even though the transformer increases the voltage.

[Nvidiaguides]

@ct92404 Darn, I had a dumb ass moment and got the division the wrong way around :L I thought 0.75 was massively high for what it is.

[remzi133]

How many kv is 'one' transformer?

[Jutisan]

thats cool now tell me where do i buy one and how to turn it on it gives a mad scientists feel doesnt it??

[vevenaneathna]

okay so someone tell me what the fuck i did wrong

i got a floricent tube light, took the tranformer out, and it had 2 wires going into it, 7 comming out of it. i paired up 4 and 2 wires for ether side of the lights, and i still had this last green wire that looked like some kinda ground wire. i plugged it in and nothing happened, so i touched the green wire to one of the contacts and a bright flash went off and fried my extension cord.

[ubuntupokemoninc]

@vevenaneathna

that wasn't a transformer it was a ballast with multiple taps comming out for different current!

[zker666]

I actually made a quad-mot jacobs ladder and it supplied 8000v at nearly 800mA and it was one deadly sounding son of a bitch! But i dismantled it pretty soon because it was too big for my room, and i didnt want to, you know, die...

[prankmypants]

hi just wondering if you know a way that i can make a 12v / 5v tesla coil as a small starter project. also can you explain the differences/benefits/disadvant­ages of using solid state vs normal tesla coils. thanks

[ct92404]

A normal spark-gap Tesla Coil can handle a LOT more power. Solid State Tesla Coils are quieter and can be built smaller, but the driver circuit is more sensitive to high frequency kickback. Spark gap coils are more durable and last longer....there's no fragile electronic components to burn out. I built the Tesla Coil in my videos almost 10 years ago and it still works great.

[ct92404]

I did buid a small Tesla Coil one time that ran on 12 volts though. I wired a 12v relay so that it would vibrate by itself to make pulsating DC, and then I used that to power an ignition transformer. It used a conventional spark gap and capacitors. I actually got pretty good sparks from it, considering I was only powering it with 12 volts.

[prankmypants]

thats great info, thanks for your time. do you have a parts list for the 12v coil? also ive seen usb plasma globes that run off 5v 1a ; would it be possible to make a usb tesla coil? would there be problems with the kickback damaging the pc? thanks

[shualli]

does it matter how many transformers we use...

[lacanau]

@shualli yes it does.

For example linking a number of microwave transformers in series to get your desired voltage can be very dangerous!

make sure you read a safety manual or guide for working with high voltage.

[nattsurfaren]

If you put a glass jar over it would you get brown gas after a while?

[DUTCHMASTER67]

whoop there's a big electricity bill LOL

[Bobbias]

Nah, not really, unless you ran them for a long time.

Electricity is relatively cheap for stuff like this. 1 kilowatt hour (1 kilowatt for 1 hour of running time) costs anywhere from 8 to 20 cents in the US, depending on state. so if that jacobs ladder used 2 kw, for 1 hour of run time, it would cost between 16 and 40 cents. That's pretty cheap, and most people don't leave those things running for long.

[lasergeak]

I love HV

[donkeypoodle]

Isn't there a huge amount of electricity left that needs to be discharged after you turn it off though?

[ct92404]

no, transformers don't hold a charge. Once you disconnect the power, it's dead.

[didaloca]

Err, yes they do. Unless there is something connecting it's terminals to discharge it.

[ct92404]

didaloca, you are confusing transformers with capacitors. A transformer does NOT hold a charge because it works with a magnetic field. Once the power source is de-energized, there is no magnetic field and there is nothing to store a charge.

[didaloca]

Ignore me. I saw "transformer" and read "capacitor" for some strange reason.

[antimoron08]

what kind of power supply are you using would a microwave power supply work? how about 2 of them ?

[ct92404]

I have two 15kv 30ma neon transformers connected in parallel. Microwave transformers only supply about 2,000 volts. So you would need to connect at least two of them in series. And even then, that might not be a high enough voltage. Also, you would have to use a ballast to limit the current. But look at my videos, I have one that shows a power supply I made with two microwave transformers, for 4,000 volts.

[antimoron08]

thanks im gonna look for one on ebay lol

[Byza01]

One microwave transformer should be plenty. Mines draws 5-10cm arcs as is. Try salting the electrodes and I've had 15cm+ long arcs.

[ct92404]

These are neon transformers. The problem with microwave transformers is that they usually supply only about 2,000 volts, which is still too low for a Jacob's Ladder (and definitely too low for a Tesla Coil). So I prefer using neon transformers. You might be able to get a Jacob's Ladder to work with a microwave transformer, but it's hard to get the arc to start by itself because the voltage is so low.

[Byza01]

You can get a definitely get Jacob's Ladder to work with a microwave transformer, but it's true they are hard to make start by itself.

[Serostern]

@ct92404 I got, err, a dozen MOTs for free. Just connect in series, dump in some oil and you got yourself a 24kv outlet =)

[MangledGoose]

Is it safe to use the normal earth?

[kalebman5000]

mines almost that good, 4 nst's but only 9kv

[Matrex50]

Do it at home...it will cost about $60 in total

[ablublibleblu]

you do that at home or you buy it?

[ct92404]

I built it myself at home.

[kalebman5000]

yeah and you put it together pretty well, i like all the insulators and connectors and stuff. good job dude

[froggymaan]

meybe its a good way to go suicide

[15g3k]

haha, true dat, good painless suicide.

shit i would try to revive myself just to die like that again! haha!

[kelstrophic]

bet u cant touch it and not cry haha

[ct92404]

yeah, because if you touch it, you'd be DEAD.

[kelstrophic]

haha its a joke im not that stupid

[arinlares]

@ 120 milliamps, would that make you double dead?

(i believe it only takes 65 to do it)

[jaa93997]

interference

[JerryElektrolab]

Lol to i můj zvs se choval lépe :)

[XboxNerd08]

lets put our finger in ^^'

[Daniel55556]

lol

[fallingwater]

Wouldn't it give a more pleasant result if the two electrodes were straighter and more stable? I see them move as they spark.

[nicolas555539]

is this bad or good situtaion?

[codemsan]

good!, this means he has lot of current and voltage!!

[mikeshepherd]

Probably best not to ask about EMC compliance.

[corester123]

btw my replies are not working right but this reply was for the teens on the second page.

[ct92404]

Yeah, I noticed too that sometimes there's a long delay before it actually posts comments.

[jmdefrancesco]

throw some steel wool on the top of the wire and see what happens LoL its weird

[jmdefrancesco]

this is a small one; ive seen one that was about 2-3 feet

[ct92404]

There is enough voltage and current here to easily power a 10 foot ladder, but this is just a small one I made earlier. It's way overpowered.

[watermeloncholy]

it doesn't really look that big, or is it bigger than it looks

[ct92404]

Well, yeah the ladder itself is small...but it's WAY overpowered here. I have four 15,000 volt neon transformers connected to it...that would draw an arc several inches long. Those transformers could actually run a much bigger Jacob's Ladder, several feet tall.

[ct92404]

...the top ends of the wires actually glow red hot! I can't run it with this much power (15,000 volts at 1800 Watts) for too long, because it gets too hot and starts to throw sparks from heated metal from the wires.

[compton3c]

Stick your toung on it. Lol

[bstep13]

ELECTRIFYING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[PackratCND]

VA=W when the PF=1 for AC.

[ct92404]

Yeah, I'm not sure what the power factor on these transformers is. The plate just says "normal power factor." But for layman's purposes, 900 Watts is probably close enough, well at least for power supplied at the secondary...15kv at 30ma for each transformer. It might be drawing more than that from the primay though.

[pauloz386]

Gee all this safety talk about high voltage, next you'll be lecturing me that climbing 220kv pylons is dangerous, but the view up there is priceless, the trick is to wear rubber gloves and gum boots, I yeah almost forgot, not to sweat!

[ct92404]

hehehe...rubber gloves with 220kv. Riiight. No, pauloz386, go right ahead...and have fun! :)

[Kpopbest]

lol

[johndear18]

that makes my little flyback ladder seam like a pussy (welllllllll im only 14

[ct92404]

well, if you're only 14, you shouldn't be playing with something like this anyway. A flyback transformer would shock you, but if you get across these transformers, you're GONE. This much voltage and current is no joke.

[newtonianbarf]

I think age is a dumbass think to base capabilities on. I think it's all about experience and know-how. I'm only fifteen and i'm building a 225 watt tesla coil. My friend who's fourty supports me, he doesn't tell me I'm too young. Thats because I know a lot about telsa coils and I'm not an ametour.

[ct92404]

Well, that's good that you have an adult with experience helping you. But a lot of people, especially kids, will see random pics or vids of a Tesla Coil and they just think..."oh cool, I'm going to build one of those" but they have no clue how dangerous it can be. No matter how much experience or knowledge you think you have, you can't get complacent with stuff like this. I first started experimenting with HV when I was 19, and even then people tried to talk me out of it.

[corester123]

i have a 15000 volt @ 60 mA using 900watts and its no joke! u got to b careful cause experience can sometimes some at a price. oh yea my b-day is feb 4 im gunna be 17 woo woo!

[2damfly]

i got shocked last week...this brings back old memories

[brophildotNET]

Nice..Arc Looks like my 15Kv/120mA unit accept mine travels 48 inches in a plexiglass resonant cavity tuned to 60Hz

[skicker68]

VA=W, then add a ton of caps haha

[johnl805]

umm..dangerous..but kool.

[RSleepy]

watch out for pesants with pitchforks lol - nice vid

[eldadrummer]

i see

[GUIPenguin]

Rofl... the "secret" is not volts. For a Jacob's Latter, you want enough voltage to jump the small air gap, and the rest is short circuit current....a normal MOT can produce around 2kv at 500ma...a normal NST is around 60ma unless you remove some of the current limiting shunts. An arch welder can draw plasma at 240 volts way past that of what an NST can do at 12kv.... As long as you have a high enough voltage to ionize the air between each leg, you can draw the arch out quite a distance....

[RotogenRay]

Too much current, though, seems to make it want to stick. I ran a fine ladder with my 2 stack, but with my 4 stack (of MOTs) the arc sticks at the bottom and doesn't like to draw out. Alas...

[billyhigdon]

brotha, you gonna burn your house down one of these days

[MGlBlaze]

LOL

[geon106]

i'd hate to see your electric bill lol

[Otacon144]

It's ALIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII­IIIIIIIIIIIVE!!!$!@%!#

[RotogenRay]

Looking at this again- thats a ton more power than is in a microwave. A MOT is 2kv, a NST is 15kv. That's like 6.5 times the power, right? A magnetron connected to that power supply would either burn out instantly, or melt the aluminium in the microwave casing and probably melt the door to the body and probably make the plate explode from the stresses...

[ct92404]

Volts, guys, the secret is VOLTS! With a MOT, you just don't have enough KV after it! Voltage is where it's at. That neon transformer generates enough corona wind to blow out a candle.

[RotogenRay]

Oh, pisshah... You get 8 MOTs together you'll get plenty of volts, believe you me. Add in a voltage multiplier (if I ever learn to make one) and you got yourself a ton of power. Besides, I like 'em deadly. I like 'em dangerous. I like amps of power. I like to run stuff under oil... You can do a lot with voltage, but it's just like static unless you got a little something behind it...

[RotogenRay]

Aww, you NST guys have all the fun... I just about blow my mots everytime I try a jacob's ladder. That or the current's so high it sticks and burns through my wires...

[tylerlavite]

LOL yes us NST guys do have all the fun :)

[RotogenRay]

Laugh it up... one day I'll get an 8 stack and it'll blow your mind... vaporize the rods on the way up the ladder and it'll get a thick arc out to 15, 16 feet...

HEHE! MORE POWER!!!

[tylerlavite]

lol nice but then i will have to come in ang go buy me a couple of pole pigs off of ebay and beat u agin! LOL i was going to buy one but i couldent get it shiped to me