Tesla Coil Not Working: Using B50k Potentiometer, 4x9V Batteries, Transistor Overheats

A Tesla coil project powered by four 9V batteries in series was not producing visible discharge or energy transfer to fluorescent lights, and the transistor overheated quickly. The user had replaced a 50k resistor with a B50k potentiometer for tuning resonance and also tried a 15V DC toy train transformer, which likely provided unfiltered pulsating DC. The main issue was resolved by swapping the two wires connected to the 5-turn coil, which enabled the coil to function properly with the battery power source. Additional suggestions included verifying transistor specifications, as incorrect transistor values can cause overheating, but the simple wire swap was sufficient to fix the problem.
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