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Flyback driver for Jacob's Ladder?

guitarguy89

Sep 15, 2014
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Alrighty so I'm still trying to get a functioning Jacob's Ladder model going. I'm to the point now where harvesting and building my own is too much of a headache. Mainly because a neon sign transformer for a decent price is next to impossible to find where I am.

Low and behold I come across a "Jacob's Ladder/Tesla Coil flyback driver and ignition coil"

This item's description reads:
"1. 12-36VDC input (recommend 24V), output high voltage direct current, voltage of the input voltage of about 1000 times. The 12V input can reach 50-100W power, 24 V input max can reach more than 200W, so request power supply current best in more than 10A.
2. A flyback drive circuit, which is used to drive the ignition coil, as did the Zero Voltage Switching, masses of fans called them "ZVS circuit". Because of its big power, low heat, simple and reliable by fans are widely used in the drive spark gap tesla coil (SGTC) and Jacob, ladders, Marx generator, etc."

My question to all of you is: is this all I need? Well aside from a power supply and the electrodes for the Ladder. Sorry for the Nubian question
, it's hard to learn on your own when nobody you know is into the subject.
 

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ADRT

Nov 25, 2014
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Yes, that's all you need. Will take some playing around to get the arc gap just right, but this should do the trick.
 

guitarguy89

Sep 15, 2014
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Yes, that's all you need. Will take some playing around to get the arc gap just right, but this should do the trick.
Sorry to bother you one last time, would this power supply be sufficient? Is it over kill? Should I find one with a higher amp output?
 

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ADRT

Nov 25, 2014
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Sorry to bother you one last time, would this power supply be sufficient? Is it over kill? Should I find one with a higher amp output?
Ok, so going by their specks at 24vdc input can reach more than 200watts. Ohms law states that I(current) = P(watts) / E(volts)

So if consumption is 200W / 24vdc = 8.333 amps. So if it only draws the 200watts than this would be ok. If it draws more than 200 watts and current gos over the 10 amp output of the power supply you would blow the output fuse. Assuming the PSU output is fused which most are.

So in a nutshell you could use this supply, but you may be replacing fuses quite often.
 

guitarguy89

Sep 15, 2014
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Ok, so going by their specks at 24vdc input can reach more than 200watts. Ohms law states that I(current) = P(watts) / E(volts)

So if consumption is 200W / 24vdc = 8.333 amps. So if it only draws the 200watts than this would be ok. If it draws more than 200 watts and current gos over the 10 amp output of the power supply you would blow the output fuse. Assuming the PSU output is fused which most are.

So in a nutshell you could use this supply, but you may be replacing fuses quite often.
So then I would be looking for a 12v 10 amp power supply?
I know I must sound like a complete idiot right now so let me ask a more straight forward and to-the-point question. What specs should I be looking for to have the ideal power supply for this unit? When it gives ranges I have no idea what to do
 
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ADRT

Nov 25, 2014
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Could you post a link to the spec page for the flyback transformer? Would like to take a look at full specs. The recommendation states that best is 24vdc. Most of the PSU's I'm seeing online are 10 amp. Higher rated PSU's are quite pricy.
 

ADRT

Nov 25, 2014
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Also specs for the powersupply would help as well.
 

guitarguy89

Sep 15, 2014
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Could you post a link to the spec page for the flyback transformer? Would like to take a look at full specs. The recommendation states that best is 24vdc. Most of the PSU's I'm seeing online are 10 amp. Higher rated PSU's are quite pricy.
The only specs I am seeing are the ones I had copy and pasted in one of my previous replies. Here is the link to the eBay page I purchased it from.
http://m.ebay.ca/itm/171796276971?_mwBanner=1
 

ADRT

Nov 25, 2014
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Ok, so looking at their specs, which is certainly not written in proper English, I would say that either a 12vdc 5 amp or the 24vdc 14.6 amp powersupply I posted earlier would work. The 24vdc powersupply will just give you a higher output voltage thus a better arc.

12vdc would give you 12,000 volts on the output and 24vdc would give you 24,000 volts. The higher the voltage potential the better the arc will be at jumping the gap and sustaining all the way up the ladder.

Just wanted to add that you will be messing with some seriously high voltages here. Please be careful. DO NOT try to adjust the gap with the thing turned on. Shut it down and just as a good measure short the ladder electrodes with a well insulated handle screw driver before making adjustments. If not they could be scraping you off the wall. OUCH! :eek:
 

CDRIVE

Hauling 10' pipe on a Trek Shift3
May 8, 2012
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Ok, so looking at their specs, which is certainly not written in proper English,

Ha! Ya haven't lived until you've purchased a Chinese (direct) item off ebay and contacted the seller for additional information or to clarify a spec. While they're the lowest price (CLONE) experts of the world their international communications skills are nearly non existent.

Chris
 

crond

Jun 28, 2016
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Alrighty so I'm still trying to get a functioning Jacob's Ladder model going. I'm to the point now where harvesting and building my own is too much of a headache. Mainly because a neon sign transformer for a decent price is next to impossible to find where I am.

Low and behold I come across a "Jacob's Ladder/Tesla Coil flyback driver and ignition coil"

This item's description reads:
"1. 12-36VDC input (recommend 24V), output high voltage direct current, voltage of the input voltage of about 1000 times. The 12V input can reach 50-100W power, 24 V input max can reach more than 200W, so request power supply current best in more than 10A.
2. A flyback drive circuit, which is used to drive the ignition coil, as did the Zero Voltage Switching, masses of fans called them "ZVS circuit". Because of its big power, low heat, simple and reliable by fans are widely used in the drive spark gap tesla coil (SGTC) and Jacob, ladders, Marx generator, etc."

My question to all of you is: is this all I need? Well aside from a power supply and the electrodes for the Ladder. Sorry for the Nubian question
, it's hard to learn on your own when nobody you know is into the subject.
That will work. I have the exact same thing as you have listed and it works great. I also made some saltwater capacitors and hooked them up in parallel with the output of the flyback and get very loud bright arcs.
 
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