I just can't get it fired up!

[mixedgas]

If the big fat cap is failing, you'll see a triangular variation in either the the light output or the current monitoring jacks. note requires scope, and care in how you hook up the scope, if you do not own a isolation transformer.

Steve

[Doc]

I once had a 'monster cable' surge protector/outlet bar that i tried to run my small argon on. There was NOTHING else plugged into it and it wouldn't start the tube until it tried like 15 times... 15 clicks on a tube that ALWAYS starts on the first click (this is the laser used for my avatar picture... hehe). Well, I thought maybe the tube was going high pressure since it sat for a couple months so I let it run for about 3 hours. All the sudden the laser wasn't running and there was just a high pitched beeping from the power bar. The bar was rated at 120V/20A but couldn't handle an argon running 5A for more than a couple hours... it got really hot and self destructed. It was a 100 dollar power strip too

This was probably due to a resonance between your PSU and the additional inductance of your extension lead .

I build tesla coils and this problem rears it's head all of the time. The issue can be dramatically improved by the use of a power factor correction capacitor across the input of your PSU. I would suggest a PFC cap on any high current inductive load as a matter of course, as it will reduce wall plug draw and generally stiffen the supply.

See here fore more info.

[mixedgas]

[QUOTE=Doc;92235]This was probably due to a resonance between your PSU and the additional inductance of your extension lead .

I build tesla coils and this problem rears it's head all of the time. The issue can be dramatically improved by the use of a power factor correction capacitor across the input of your PSU. I would suggest a PFC cap on any high current inductive load as a matter of course, as it will reduce wall plug draw and generally stiffen the supply.

Respectfully must disagree,
Modern PSUs (JDSU, Laserdrive, Spectra etc) are already PFC corrected, and they are buck converters, the storage inductance is small, on the order of 20 mHy.
More likely he had a about 2-3 ohms of resistance in series with the PSU, Which is enough to take it out of loop.

Steve

[Doc]

[QUOTE=mixedgas;92303]

This was probably due to a resonance between your PSU and the additional inductance of your extension lead .

I build tesla coils and this problem rears it's head all of the time. The issue can be dramatically improved by the use of a power factor correction capacitor across the input of your PSU. I would suggest a PFC cap on any high current inductive load as a matter of course, as it will reduce wall plug draw and generally stiffen the supply.

Respectfully must disagree,
Modern PSUs (JDSU, Laserdrive, Spectra etc) are already PFC corrected, and they are buck converters, the storage inductance is small, on the order of 20 mHy.
More likely he had a about 2-3 ohms of resistance in series with the PSU, Which is enough to take it out of loop.

Steve

I will accept your correction with grace, it just sounded for all the world like a PF problem. Sometimes even a 125w fluorescent tube will refuse to ignite on an extension lead without a PFC cap.

[mixedgas]

fluorescent tube will refuse to ignite on an extension lead without a PFC cap.[/QUOTE]

Now I will agree I have seen some whacky stuff out of flours on cords.
Want some real fun, try the cheap ballasts where they assume the lamp is in a grounded fixture to aid in starting, and the wire back to the box is long and the inductance of the wire kills the neat little capacitive field they want to aid in starting the lamp. ARGH!!

Steve