tesla coil interference

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7 years 2 weeks ago - 7 years 2 weeks ago #3062 by stdorn01
after assembling a 6 inch Tesla coil kit I noticed unusually high readings. I turn the coil back on well monitoring my readings and found that the high readings were caused by my Tesla coil. The coil was over fifty feet away from the detector tube. Just running it I got slightly elevated readings but having it light fluorescent tubes I got readings of over a hundred from fifty feet away I'm wondering if it's strictly RF interference or if the fluorescent light could have generated some x-rays being run off of a Tesla coil. Does anyone have any ideas or thoughts on this. The included picture so it shows the interference at approximately 23:00 local time UTC.

Steve


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Last edit: 7 years 2 weeks ago by stdorn01.

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7 years 2 weeks ago #3066 by mw0uzo
Replied by mw0uzo on topic tesla coil interference
I'd say that was RF interference. My counter goes like that if I forget to turn logging off when I fire up my HF radio.

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7 years 1 week ago #3067 by Bert490
Replied by Bert490 on topic tesla coil interference
I agree it's likely RF interference, and maybe the fluorescent tube is focusing it somehow like an antenna towards the GM tube. But don't rule out X-rays if you are using a Tesla coil with a spark gap. This is
from http://www.pupman.com/safety.htm on Tesla coil safety:

...any time the voltage gets above 10 kV, there is a significant risk of X-ray production, and the risk increases with increasing voltages. ... If the potential difference between the anode and cathode is +100 kV D.C., a spectrum of X-rays will be produced with energies from zero to 100 keV.

There seems to be room for more experiments: Maybe chart the radiation reading vs. distance to the Tesla coil, shield the GM tube with grounded screen or thin metal to see if it is RF (this wouldn't stop X-rays, you would need lead), and try to see if it is coming from the fluorescent tube or the coil gap.

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