From a cold start, with the pump off all night, and everything valved off from the pump down the night before, I can start the pump, be at 50 microns in the foreline in about 60 seconds. Opening the valve to the micromaze causes no change in pressure. After 60 seconds or so I can open the valve to the chamber and be at 40 microns throughout within another five minutes. So, I guess It is not as bad as I thought.
Now I am directing my efforts toward getting a safe power supply running. I got two 10KV filter Caps from Richard Hull. The most difficult items to find were the high voltage resistors. I called the local Ohmite dealer and after a week of phone calls back and forth they could supply 10 Meg 5 Watt resistors at $300.00 apiece with a minimum order of 1,000 ( that is $300,000.00) and a fourteen and a week lead time. Last night, I found what I need in fifteen minutes on (I hate to say it) ebay. I bought nine Dale 14 meg HV resisters for $20.50 total.
I want to see the light show under clear plastic before building a stainless chamber with just a view port.
I got into this forum exactly one month ago today. I can't believe how much I have learned from you guys, and how far I have come, and how close I am to having a working demo fusor. Thanks to all!!
Created on Tuesday, April 10, 2001 5:42 PM EDT by Thomas D Dressel