PJK book addresses stepdown transformer

PJK book addresses stepdown transformer

In the PJK Don Smith book, a graphic is shown with a stepdown transformer.  It is shown here:

No capacitors are shown here either, and said to be optional for tuning.  I will attempt to shift to my calculated values for the caps and be attempting to find resonance with a diode or neon bulb also.  Notice the resistor, as it seems a requirement.  On p82, it states:

"This simplified circuit avoids the need for expensive capacitors and the constraints of their voltage ratings, and the need for electronic control of the output frequency. The wire length in the turns of coil "L2" still needs to be exactly four times the wire length of the turns in coil "L1", but there is only one component which needs to be introduced, and that is the resistor "R" placed across the primary winding of the step-down isolation transformer. This transformer is a laminated iron-core type (as is my MOT!), suitable for the low mains frequency, but the output from "L2" is at much higher frequency. It is possible to pull the frequency down to suit the step-down transformer by connecting the correct value of resistor "R" across the output transformer (or a coil and resistor, or a coil and a capacitor). The value of resistor needed can be predicted from the American Radio Relay League graph (shown as Fig.44 in Don's .pdf document which can be downloaded from the www.free-energy-info.com website).  The sixth edition of the Howard Sams book "Handbook of Electronics Tables andFormulas" (ISBN-10: 0672224690 or ISBN-13: 978-0672224690) has a table which goes down to 1 kHz and so does not need to be extended to reach the frequencies used here. The correct resistor value could also be found by experimentation. You will notice that an earthed dual spark gap has been placed across "L2" in order to make sure that the voltage levels always stay within the design range."

Regarding my MOT, it has a feature where the high voltage winding is terminated to the iron core and frame as a ground.  Given that the Center Taps on the air coil is ground, I have decided that is a bad feature and have disconnected the HV winding, letting it float.  I have hooked up the L1, L2 and MOT without any diodes.  I get some nice HV voltage into the HV MOT from L2 and can get a nice spark on a gapped connector, but without the R at least, I am not getting much voltage on the low voltage MOT winding.  You apparently will lose the higher frequency operation.