Author Topic: Joule Thief (Read 6372311 times)

Pirate88179 · « **Reply #16485 on:** February 09, 2014, 09:04:08 PM »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGmkP2FC3n8

This is a quick video of a resistance substitution box kit that I built a few weekends ago. It is a really well designed kit and cost only $15.00 (US) free shipping, from Amazon.

I added the banana plugs to the front and I also added a 1 K linear taper VR to the rear with its own banana plugs.

This is very useful when tuning jt circuits.

Bill

electricme · « **Reply #16486 on:** February 09, 2014, 09:49:33 PM »

@Bill,
Well done mate, always great to add another bit of testing kit to the electronic tools kit box.

Has anyone hooked a small solar cell to a JT yet, probably, I have been away from here far too long now.

On the 3 watt resistors, when the joule thief gets some higher output grunt, the 1/4 watt resistors will smoke, that's when you use the 3 watters, when "they" smoke go to the 5 watters, they can handle a lot more heat.

In the mean time stick with the 1/4 watters.

Has anyone tried paralling up the joule thiefs yet? I mean at least 10?
Parallel = higher output power
Use a single JT as the primary to keep all the others in sync so all the outputs don't fight against each other?

Jim.

To all it's hot here..... over night temp was 27C or 80F been freezing up in your neck of the woods!

crowclaw · « **Reply #16487 on:** February 10, 2014, 07:39:52 PM »

@ Bill, Nice job and a very useful bit of kit. Do you have a variable power supply? if not another possible project for you mate. Merv

crowclaw · « **Reply #16488 on:** February 10, 2014, 07:58:26 PM »

Quote from: electricme on February 09, 2014, 09:49:33 PM

Jim.

To all it's hot here..... over night temp was 27C or 80F been freezing up in your neck of the woods!

Hi Jim... here in the UK we have had a prolonged wet spell causing wide spread floods and cold weather in many regions with several towns and villages virtually cut off by swollen rivers. The forecast is unchanged with more heavy rain and strong winds yet to come. We live on higher ground so very lucky compared with thousands of flooded homes and businesses elsewhere around the country. ROLL ON SUMMER!!
Regards Merv.

Pirate88179 · « **Reply #16489 on:** February 11, 2014, 03:41:34 AM »

Quote from: electricme on February 09, 2014, 09:49:33 PM

@Bill,
Well done mate, always great to add another bit of testing kit to the electronic tools kit box.

Has anyone hooked a small solar cell to a JT yet, probably, I have been away from here far too long now.

On the 3 watt resistors, when the joule thief gets some higher output grunt, the 1/4 watt resistors will smoke, that's when you use the 3 watters, when "they" smoke go to the 5 watters, they can handle a lot more heat.

In the mean time stick with the 1/4 watters.

Has anyone tried paralling up the joule thiefs yet? I mean at least 10?
Parallel = higher output power
Use a single JT as the primary to keep all the others in sync so all the outputs don't fight against each other?

Jim.

To all it's hot here..... over night temp was 27C or 80F been freezing up in your neck of the woods!

Jim:

Great to see you here. Thanks for the kind words. I made a video about a month ago where I hooked 2 jt flash circuits in parallel and the 60 watt equiv. led bulb was a lot brighter. I made a custom test bed for these experiments and then added another 2 into the circuit. When switching on the 3rd in the circuit there was no additional increase and the same with adding the 4th. That is as far as I have gotten. I really want to add at least two in series but that gets tricky with these flash circuits.

It has been really, really cold here. (and I work outside!!) One day recently, we were down to -18F with the wind chill.

Take care,

Bill

Pirate88179 · « **Reply #16490 on:** February 11, 2014, 03:43:28 AM »

Merv:

Thank you. Yes, I bought a decent power supply last year. It is very handy to have around when testing these circuits.

Bill

Pirate88179 · « **Reply #16491 on:** February 22, 2014, 11:24:44 PM »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Fo99iQndW0

This is my Electronic Scarecrow I made from a solar garden light JT circuit. I added two red leds and a CD. I made it for my friend who has chickens. It is supposed to keep the nocturnal predators at bay by making them think there is a larger predator in the area. (You can buy expensive commercial models)

You hang it from a tree and it charges by day, and runs all night long. Just a simple, hopefully useful (Otherwise I won't get any more free eggs) and cheap project.

Bill

***EDITED TO ADD PHOTOS*** (Now that we can do that again.)

Pirate88179 · « **Reply #16492 on:** March 02, 2014, 07:57:18 PM »

http://www.instructables.com/id/Resistor-Color-Wheel/

I made this neat little resistor color wheel designed by a fellow named Robives on Instructables. The PDF files are at the above link. I increased the size by 10% and used a 10-32 screw and nut for the axle and added a drop of superglue to the threads once I adjusted the drag. I also added a small neo to the back so it can hang on my wire holder bracket where it will be very handy.

I found this to be a really nice, fast, and simple way to translate the resistor color codes.

Bill

TinselKoala · « **Reply #16493 on:** March 03, 2014, 06:05:49 AM »

Thumbs way up! Useful items all and very clever too.

I put one of your flashcameraboards and a gutted CFL tube into a plastic mayo jar.... it's a PirateRight! er, PilotLite....er... Pirate Light! A little red theaterlighting gel wrapped around inside and it's a very nice dark-adaptation saving nightlight for the observa-yurt.

Double thumbs up for the Simpson multimeter, a real classic and very reliable.

Pirate88179 · « **Reply #16494 on:** March 03, 2014, 06:51:18 AM »

Quote from: TinselKoala on March 03, 2014, 06:05:49 AM

Thumbs way up! Useful items all and very clever too.

I put one of your flashcameraboards and a gutted CFL tube into a plastic mayo jar.... it's a PirateRight! er, PilotLite....er... Pirate Light! A little red theaterlighting gel wrapped around inside and it's a very nice dark-adaptation saving nightlight for the observa-yurt.

Double thumbs up for the Simpson multimeter, a real classic and very reliable.

Thank you. Yes, the gel is a good idea. I did that when I modified my friends Coleman lantern. (Using the flash circuit and Cree bulb) I used an inverted peanut butter jar (plastic) with the gel on the outside so he could have red light, or unscrew the jar and have white light.

Actually, that is a 1955 Triplett Model 630 meter that used to belong to my Dad. I restored it and did a battery hack to make the 30 volt bat that you can no longer get. Video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QR5yf4jMNPM

You should post a video on your flash circuit light. Those surplus flash circuits are still available...man, they must have made millions of those things.

Thanks for the nice comments.

Bill

PS: Added photo of the meter. Believe it or not, those are the original test leads. A little WD-40 made them look new. I did have to replace the probes as one was missing but, I had another meter with similar probes so I soldered them on.

TinselKoala · « **Reply #16495 on:** March 04, 2014, 03:44:28 AM »

Ah, Triplett. I have a Simpson (somewhere) that is practically identical, same HV input locations and all but now that I see the full view I can tell that the Triplett is not quite as "boxy" as the Simpson. The meter faces are nearly identical too. Google Images has some great pix of both types.

Pirate88179 · « **Reply #16496 on:** March 04, 2014, 04:15:57 AM »

I actually thought my Dad had a Simpson, and was surprised to find out it was a Triplett. I asked a friend of mine the other day if he thought that a meter he bought this year would still be working 59 years later, and he said ....no.

I had a lot of fun making it work again and I love the idea of using something that is older than I am. (Not by much)

Bill

TinselKoala · « **Reply #16497 on:** March 04, 2014, 04:27:05 AM »

I have a Fluke 83 DMM that I bought in 1983, I think. I use it every day, and I'll bet it will outlive me. The display has one of those weird rubber-metal contact strips, and every once in a while I have to clean it and re-seat it so the display segments will all work well, but other than that it still does great. It uses these big cartridge fuses, and those are actually still available too. My local supplier is the regional Fluke dealer, too, and he's got all the Fluke goodies in stock. Wanna pay ten dollars for an alligator clip? If it works...it's a Fluke.

Pirate88179 · « **Reply #16498 on:** March 04, 2014, 04:49:37 AM »

Does your Simpson utilize that funky 30 volt battery that is no longer available? (That is why I had to do the battery hack in the video) If so, what was your workaround for that? (Knowing you, you probably have spares stashed away somewhere, ha ha)

I have an old Omega DMM (Model 881C) from around 1988 or so. Geeze, I better open that one up and check the battery condition, it might be a mess in there as I have not used it for a very long time.

Bill

SeaMonkey · « **Reply #16499 on:** March 04, 2014, 06:37:41 AM »

Pirate88179,

Do you have any idea what the current draw from
the 30 Volt battery might be?

If it is only a few milliAmperes it would be possible
to make a DC to DC Boost circuit to transform a
low two cell voltage to the needed 30 Volts with
pretty good regulation.

Do you remember the TI Scientific Calculators
from the '80s (TI-30) which were powered by either
a 9 Volt battery or the rechargeable 2-cell
NiCd boost replacement?

News:

User Menu

Author Topic: Joule Thief (Read 6372311 times)

Pirate88179

Re: Jule Thief

electricme

Re: Jule Thief

crowclaw

Re: Jule Thief

crowclaw

Re: Jule Thief

Pirate88179

Re: Jule Thief

Pirate88179

Re: Jule Thief

Pirate88179

Re: Jule Thief

Pirate88179

Re: Jule Thief

TinselKoala

Re: Jule Thief

Pirate88179

Re: Jule Thief

TinselKoala

Re: Jule Thief

Pirate88179

Re: Jule Thief

TinselKoala

Re: Jule Thief

Pirate88179

Re: Jule Thief

SeaMonkey

Re: Jule Thief