novalite-spark-gap
Novalite Adjustment of Spark-Gap
If I use it regularly (several times a week) I have to adjust my spark gap every year or so. Symptoms: sparking from the crown becomes erratic.
It takes me about 45-minutes. It helps to have a large space to work and plenty of light.
I use a work-light and flashlight. And I have learned it’s worth lifting the base (which is heavy) up onto the dining-room table which makes it much easier to work with.
TOOLS:
Phillip’s Head Screwdriver;
Allen Wrench (one came with my device and I keep it with my device)
A little SANDPAPER (or Emery Board for filing fingernails)
Work-Light and a Flashlight are useful (or a headlamp would be even better.)
NOTE: While the machine is disassembled, I usually take the opportunity to wipe it down and clean it and vacuum it (there may be carbon soot in places; the plastic cylinder covering the coil could be dirty.)
First, UNPLUG it. Then…
1 Remove the “crown” – the unit containing the circular Plexiglas coil (with a piece of wire spiraled around it) and also the many vertical tubes of noble gases arranged just below it)
Mine is all in one piece – simply lift-up on it. It’s not attached. Gravity holds it in place. Carefully set aside.
Sounds as if yours may be slightly different with the top part coming off of the section with the glass tubes.
Set this aside.
Then, lift up to remove the clear Plexiglas cylinder that sits over the tall vertical coil of the device.
2 Unscrew the big vertical Coil. It’s threaded on the bottom so simply hold it with both hands and rotate it counter-clockwise Set aside.
(Note, when reassembling, I needed to shine a flashlight down the inside of the coil so that I could see where the threaded-screw is in the center of the base in order to position the coil for reattachment. Just screw it back on clockwise.) After you remove the column with the wire coiled around it, just set it aside and you are left with just the cube-shaped base.
3 Remove 4 screws on each side on the plastic base (Phillip’s Head)
I put them in a small dish so I don’t lose them. and then…
LIFT OFF THE PLASTIC/Fiberglas CUBE (mine is gold colored)
(NOTE: You will have to pry the base a little over the white plastic Hi/Lo toggle switch that adjusts the output. Don’t worry, you won’t break anything by doing this. )
4 On the back of the base (opposite the side with the fuse)…
UNDO the Wide VELCRO STRAP and rectangular (wooden?) Black Plate to expose the SPARK GAPS
There are 3 sections. The middle section remains fixed. Leave that alone.
5 Use an ALLEN WRENCH to LOOSEN the 4 Bolts on top of the 2 side sections.
2 are atop the left section; 2 more atop the right section.
6 Use some SAND PAPER (or an emery board nail file) to sand off any oxidation off the carbon rods that slide left-and-right.)
7 Adjust the gap to just a little more than the thickness of a business card. You do this just by using your fingers to push the carbon rods side-to-side.
8 Using the Allen Wrench, tighten the 4 screws (2 on top of each of the side units)
I go ahead and use the Velcro straps to position the rectangular black panel over the spark gap area…
Then, before reassembling the top part, plug in the machine and turn it on (keep your distance) to see if it’s working well. It should be running smoothly without cutting-in-and-out. It will be much louder than normal because you don’t have the cover on. If it’s operating ok, you’re good to go. Unplug it and reassemble it.
If not, then unplug it and readjust the rods to adjust the spark-gaps and try again. (Sometimes, it takes me 2 or 3 tries to get it right.)
9 Reassemble it:
First, screw on the coil/column – remember that it helps to use a flashlight shining down the center of it so you can see where to position the hole onto the screw in the device. Screw the column clockwise.
Then, set the Plexiglas tube over it – it just nestles into a groove in the circular base.
Then, set the crown on top (with the tubes of noble gasses) – it doesn’t actually attach with screws or anything. Just uses gravity to hold it in place.
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ADDITIONAL NOTES: I sit in a wooden (not metal) chair in front of the machine, maybe 2 feet away. You can get a strong static shock if you get too close or touch the machine while its running.
Yes, it can affect electronic devices close to it. It was knocking out my furnace thermostat so I had to buy some shielding fabric (from LessEMF.com) to cover the thermostat. That worked. Don’t have your computer or cell phone nearby. When you visited me (and got shocked by touching a piece of aluminum foam-core I had standing nearby) I may have shown you that holding a fluorescent bulb (or probably one of those coiled-light-bulbs) near the machine makes it light up. I used that to show people how far the machine sent out energy. About 6-8 feet away, the bulb wouldn’t light up. So that can help you know how far away to put devices.
When running the machine, the WHITE TOGGLE-SWITCH is a LOW/HIGH setting. I usually set that before I turn it on as I don’t like reaching that close to the machine while it’s running.
There are 2 holes on the back bottom of the machine into which you can plug brass grounding plates attached to long black cords that may have come with the machine. They just ground into the 3rd-hole in a wall outlet.
Barefooted, You can sit with your feet on the big grounding plate. (If you wear socks, you may feel little sparks jumping the gap from the plate to your feet, through the fabric.)
As your body is flooded with static electricity (which neutralizes free-radicals) the electricity is looking for a place to go to ground itself. Putting your feet on the grounding plate forces it to exit your body through your feet. That assures that it’s going through all parts of your body.
You may also have a small rectangular brass plate that you can plug-in. That one you can hold against a particular part of your body that is experiencing inflammation or pain (an elbow, shoulder, etc.) So that allows the electricity to find it’s way out of your body at that point and concentrates more of the electrons there. I hold it by the insulated wire rather than the brass plate.