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General Misc => Robot Videos => Topic started by: madsci1016 on June 04, 2011, 10:27:10 PM

Title: TeslaHero, a million volt guitar
Post by: madsci1016 on June 04, 2011, 10:27:10 PM
I'll make this quick. Watch video, check blog post.

Tesla Hero, An Awesome Million Volt Guitar (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDovAB9pM0w#)

http://www.billporter.info/tesla-hero-an-awesome-million-volt-guitar/ (http://www.billporter.info/tesla-hero-an-awesome-million-volt-guitar/)

That is all.
Title: Re: TeslaHero, a million volt guitar
Post by: Ro-Bot-X on June 05, 2011, 05:52:27 AM
Cool, Bill! I guess you have played more with science than with the guitar, but you made it! Cheers!
Title: Re: TeslaHero, a million volt guitar
Post by: Joker94 on June 07, 2011, 02:05:54 AM
Nice job Madsci, great idea for control!

and congrats on the hackady appearance!'

Cheers

Joker94
Title: Re: TeslaHero, a million volt guitar
Post by: madsci1016 on June 15, 2011, 04:24:11 PM
WOOT!!!

I won a WIRED contest with this video

http://wiredinsider.tumblr.com/post/6496464550/announcing-the-wired-maker (http://wiredinsider.tumblr.com/post/6496464550/announcing-the-wired-maker)

Prizes including a Makerbot Thing-o-matic!

Title: Re: TeslaHero, a million volt guitar
Post by: Conscripted on June 16, 2011, 07:58:19 AM
WOOT!!!

I won a WIRED contest with this video

http://wiredinsider.tumblr.com/post/6496464550/announcing-the-wired-maker (http://wiredinsider.tumblr.com/post/6496464550/announcing-the-wired-maker)

Prizes including a Makerbot Thing-o-matic!

Nice!!
Title: Re: TeslaHero, a million volt guitar
Post by: Aberg098 on June 16, 2011, 11:59:49 AM
Congrats!
Title: Re: TeslaHero, a million volt guitar
Post by: madsci1016 on June 20, 2011, 06:45:00 PM
Hey guys, check this out if you haven't already:

http://www.societyofrobots.com/robotforum/index.php?topic=13984.0 (http://www.societyofrobots.com/robotforum/index.php?topic=13984.0)
Title: Re: TeslaHero, a million volt guitar
Post by: macdad- on June 21, 2011, 04:20:39 PM
Hey madsci, what'd you use for the driving circuitry on the tesla coil, 555 inverter, Boost Converter? As me and some of my friends have been working on our musical tesla coil and we've settled with a ZVS driver(Looks pretty sweet) but want your opinion.

Oh and awesome-sauce guitar btw   :D
Title: Re: TeslaHero, a million volt guitar
Post by: madsci1016 on June 21, 2011, 05:02:35 PM
My coil is actually a $300 kit from Eastern Voltage Research. It is a very powerful Dual Resonant coil capable of 20-30" sparks, which is unheard of for such a small design. The secondary is only 11" tall!!!

It's driver is simple is some regards and complex in others.

It is self tuning, the driver circuitry applies a step response and measures the coils resonant frequency with a current sensor and turns around and drives it at it's natural resonance no matter what it is.

The actual power circuit is a simple DC voltage doubler from the 120V AC mains to create 340V DC.  Then two IGBTs turn the DC back into AC to drive the primary. It's scary, system is pumping 340V DC @ 350 Amps (!!!!) into the primary coil.  But only for 100 uS at a frequency of 60 - 100 Hz.

Downside is it doesn't have a great frequency range without risking burnout and it's only monophonic. You need a much bigger non-DR coil to do polyphonic.

This is my only experience with these new fancy digital coils. Not like the old analog beer bottle coils I built in high school.   ;D ;D
Title: Re: TeslaHero, a million volt guitar
Post by: macdad- on June 21, 2011, 05:39:02 PM
I think I'm more scared of the digital ones  :o

Thanks that sounds pretty simple, minus the current sensing circuitry  ;D
Title: Re: TeslaHero, a million volt guitar
Post by: madsci1016 on June 22, 2011, 06:03:32 PM
I think I'm more scared of the digital ones  :o

Lol, so was I, which is why I ponied up the $300 for the pre-designed kit. Not really a bad price when you take into account it has almost everything you need to make a complete coil.