HOME   │   SHOWS   │   NIGHTCLUB   │   MEDIA  │   EQUIPMENT  │  TECHNICAL INFO  │   RENTAL PRICE  │   CONTACT US  │

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

Courtesy of kVA Effects - www.teslacoil.com

         Electrical Service:

Our machines use standard, 50Hz, single phase commercial electric power at 220 volts. Generator power is an option, however, our machines require a frequency stable platform under all load conditions. Usually this requires applying a significant overrating when choosing a generator. Power consumption for each Tesla Coil can be found on the "Equipment" page.

        R.F. Grounding:

Tesla coils require a separate Radio Frequency (R.F.) ground connection in addition to the more common 50Hz ground required by most other electrical equipment. R.F. grounding techniques differ greatly from 50Hz grounding techniques because of the unique nature of high frequency A.C. electricity.

Our Tesla coils increase the 50Hz input frequency to between 90kHz and 150kHz before output. A proper R.F. ground must be of very low A.C. impedance at these high frequencies to be effective. Leads must be as short as possible and large, multi-strand conductors must be utilized. The ground termination point must be of sufficient capacity to satisfy the power requirements of the coil in use.

Usually, the best R.F. ground termination points are water carrying metal pipes, fire stand-offs and fire hydrants as long as they are connected to metal pipes below ground. Other options include chemical grounds, transformer pads, lightning rod end points or electrical service inlets. If the above options are not available, very large metal objects such as building support structures, bridges or metal floors may be used. In some instances, MEGAVOLT may suggest the installation of a dedicated R.F. ground system.

        R.F Interference:

Tesla coils are high voltage radio frequency (R.F.) generators and can broadcast interference in the low AM band. Usually R.F. interference is eliminated by the design of most professional audio, video and computer equipment and therefore presents no symptoms. Occasionally, however, R.F. interference may leak into the data traffic of DMX based equipment and cause cosmetic malfunction. Adding standard R.F. suppression devices in the form of line filters, opto-isolators and isolation transformers usually eliminates these malfunctions, if any. Audio and lighting designers should allow for adequate space (About  6 meters) when planning for board locations, data paths and moving instrument placement.