Re: Fusor Running, No Neutron Detection
Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2020 6:46 pm
Alan,
Three 30kV precip supplies only amounts to around $120 total. They can be purchased for around $40 a piece. That’s less than the cost of one 60kV supply or a months worth of going for a morning STARBUCKS coffee. Comparative to other disasters seen on this site over the past 20 years, yours is a mere hiccup, and a ultra inexpensive one at that.
Regarding your question of others who had problems. Early on I killed some circuitry in mine due to an arc over condition on the HV feedthru. Others here have killed high priced Spellmans and GHVR supplies under similar conditions. After replacing the components and beefing up the standoff potential of my feedthru, all has been good. There was also an issue of someone not potting it in oil as Finn Hammer highly suggested a couple years ago. The resultant arc over caused a similar failure. So the “others” you reference are just me and one other person. The other two people who used precips made successful Fusors and moved on.
I can’t weigh in on how yours failed unless I was there to see it in person. But I can say this...I only used the 30kV supply for brief time with the Fusor. After I detected neutrons and had the educational arc-over experience, I upgraded to the 60kV supply. So I don’t have any long term experience using the 30kV unit for sustained Fusor use.
Tbh, I think your larger problem is getting your neutron detection system going. I’ve made no mistake about my feelings towards the problematic nature of the Soviet 3He tubes. As a matter of coincidence a person on Twitter just messaged me last week about its inherent difficulty getting it to dial in.
I’d recommend forgoing a few more cups of STARBUCKS in exchange for another go at it and revamp your neutron detection efforts.
If it’s really a pure issue of no longer being fun, then obviously I can’t recommend any of this. Main reason I no longer play golf!
Mark Rowley
Three 30kV precip supplies only amounts to around $120 total. They can be purchased for around $40 a piece. That’s less than the cost of one 60kV supply or a months worth of going for a morning STARBUCKS coffee. Comparative to other disasters seen on this site over the past 20 years, yours is a mere hiccup, and a ultra inexpensive one at that.
Regarding your question of others who had problems. Early on I killed some circuitry in mine due to an arc over condition on the HV feedthru. Others here have killed high priced Spellmans and GHVR supplies under similar conditions. After replacing the components and beefing up the standoff potential of my feedthru, all has been good. There was also an issue of someone not potting it in oil as Finn Hammer highly suggested a couple years ago. The resultant arc over caused a similar failure. So the “others” you reference are just me and one other person. The other two people who used precips made successful Fusors and moved on.
I can’t weigh in on how yours failed unless I was there to see it in person. But I can say this...I only used the 30kV supply for brief time with the Fusor. After I detected neutrons and had the educational arc-over experience, I upgraded to the 60kV supply. So I don’t have any long term experience using the 30kV unit for sustained Fusor use.
Tbh, I think your larger problem is getting your neutron detection system going. I’ve made no mistake about my feelings towards the problematic nature of the Soviet 3He tubes. As a matter of coincidence a person on Twitter just messaged me last week about its inherent difficulty getting it to dial in.
I’d recommend forgoing a few more cups of STARBUCKS in exchange for another go at it and revamp your neutron detection efforts.
If it’s really a pure issue of no longer being fun, then obviously I can’t recommend any of this. Main reason I no longer play golf!
Mark Rowley