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Modding a 8'in Plasma Ball?

bakaryu18

Dec 25, 2013
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Dec 25, 2013
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Hello I recently brought a 8'in diameter plasma ball for a Christmas present and I want to make the electrical tendrils more aggressive looking without increasing the electrical humming sound.

I heard to do this I need to remove the TIP 122 and replace it with a TIP 120 and place a heat sink on it too? with thermal paste, I'm not sure.

By the way I live In Arizona, and I'm using the regular power outlet stuff.
Please thank you.
 

(*steve*)

¡sǝpodᴉʇuɐ ǝɥʇ ɹɐǝɥd
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Jan 21, 2010
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25,510
I'm not sure that simply replacing a transistor will make the tendrils "more aggressive".

I'm not even sure what "more aggressive" means.

Do you have access to a schematic for this device?
 

shrtrnd

Jan 15, 2010
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I played around with these things a while back.
*steve*'s right that looking at the schematic might help if you've got one.
The globe is filled with one of several types of speicalty gases, argon being one of the
most often used. But depending on the gas, and the voltage used, you can vary the
intensity or 'aggressivness' of the lightening inside the globe.
Commercial models are deliberately conservative because the manufacturer has to
worry about what happens when somebody breaks the globe, and the HV involved.
I'd Google your make and model number, and see what you can find from people
who've tried to modify the one you've got. (Which is maybe where you got the tip you're asking about.)
It get's sticky giving advice here on altering high voltage devices for pretty much the
same reason manufacturers worry about what will happen if something goes wrong.
 
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