i was thinking maybe a voltage divider to change the voltage? I need my coilgun to be consistent thus i need the voltage in the capacitor to be the same each time.
I'm currently using a transformer that is suppose to drop ac main 118-120v ish to 108-110v. That is connected to a bridge rectifier which converts it to ac. I need my coilgun to be precise and charging to be not too slow. I'm thinking if i use diodes and ac main voltage flucates my coilgun will be affected. I have 3 35w rheostat, do you think it's possible for me to hook that up and fine tune the voltage to be 95-100v ish?
I'm worried about the rheostat heating up, do i need a load or limit resistance on both circuits coming out of the rheostat? I've actually melted one b4, it was glowing bright red.
Another general question about capacitors, i see my capacitors after charging to 100v starts self discharge itself pretty quick usually down to 84v ish in under a minute, then it drops very slowly. Is this a sign of old capacitors? Should I reform them to fix this issue?