Jacob ladder needs a much higher voltage.

@@manla8397 Hi, Is he using the transformer backwards in this case? He keeps saying input to the secondary...and output from primary? Thanks.

DREADNAUGHT For my understanding, primary coil is the input coil, secondary coil is the output side. Depends on the ratio of turns, transformers can step up or step down. I believe what he said is that he uses the “used to be” primary as secondary. We need a step up transformer to ramp up the voltage. The dielectric breakdown of air is around 3kV/mm. You may need a few or at least 1mm gap between the bottom part of the ladder. Therefore, I guess it will need about around 10kV. A high voltage module that he used in other projects may serve this purpose but not too sure about the magnitude of current or continuity would be enough to drive a decent ladder. He mentioned the maximum voltage that the transformer can stand is around 5 to 6 hundreds volts. I personally doubt about this number as a lot of Tesla coil using enameled wire can ramp up to a couple of thousand volts but of course the current is tiny anyway. Hence the power dissipation from the wire would be negligible. I am a big fan of ludic science. He always got incredible ideas of showing physics concepts in a very simple way.

@@manla8397 Thank you mate. He was just confusing me because he keeps saying the coils the wrong way round. I'm pretty new to electronics, so a simple mistake of words on his part sends my brain into meltdown! Thanks for your help once again!

It depends on the type of transformer and type of transistor and mainly on the voltage

i was wondering how royers circuit doesnt damage the transistor as they are used in ccfl lighting. i need a way to keep transistor in safe usable mode

I have a suggestion: Make the secondary coil to have very few turns of heavy wire. Then the circuit can be used as a soldering gun with intermittent use of the "trigger".

Why not use multiple transformers instead of a low voltage DC supply and oscillator? Use a 120V - 12V transformer in a mains powered step down configuration then connect the 12V to an additional 120V - 6V transformer in a step up configuration. Feed the 12 volts out from one into the 6 volt winding in on the other. You should get 240 on the second transformer. If you need a higher voltage use an additional 120V - 6V transformer. Connect the two 6V windings in parallel and the 120V windings in series and you should have 480V output. Watch the phasing of the two output windings so that the add instead of subtract. There are multiple different combinations available with combinations of primaries and secondaries. Please use caution and follow safety recommendations when working with high voltage. If you don't know what you are doing, don't do it as you can end yourself accidentally.

If it has a center tap and if you reverse the transformer I think it would work fine.

because the terminology isn't based on which way you're using it but instead how it's designed

That would greatly depend on the impedance of the load. In the demonstration the only thing 'loading' the secondary was the voltmeter. If your wondering what the maximum current the secondary could produce, that would depend upon the power rating of transformer used and wire gauge of the winding. For a transformer that size I would guess about 100 milliamps at 100% duty cycle.

For welding you want low voltage high amperage. This produces high voltage low amperage.

Transformers are bidirectional, that means you can flip the primary and secondary windings. A step up transformer can be used as step down transformer.

@@rob3125 Thank you mate. Is this what he is doing in this case then? Thanks again.

@@ZENERVOLTAGE Yes it is

😯

Very true, ear deafening, feels like my ear drums going to blast. Kinda irritating the introduction sound level.

That's the old outro, there's a more modern one I had designed for him but it looks to me like he used it on accident. I designed the old one initially but later decided it was way too much, and went with a calmer, less jumpy approach. Perhaps I could do an even better approach.

You can wind a feedback coil easily on most transformers. Or you have to find a transformer with centre tap.

Right. That looks like a 60Hz transformer.

Well, 500v is a good place to start

hes obviously not a native English speaker. show some respect.

To be honest, I can agree. The transformer looks like low frequency transformer, and he's switching it at much highee frequency. I recommend using transformer from switch mode power supply

*d̶o̶n̶'̶t̶ 𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 use a̶ 𝗮𝗻 iron core *learn a̶ better English