Author Topic: Earth Electrical Energy Datalogging Experiments (Read 286957 times)

sm0ky2 · « **Reply #195 on:** July 24, 2009, 06:15:49 AM »

Quote from: Pirate88179 on July 24, 2009, 06:05:32 AM

Smokey:

All leds will not turn on with a single AA battery...hence the JT circuit.

Bill

even with my JT, it takes 2 batteries.... maybe i didnt make the JT "correctly"?? i followed this

http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-a-Joule-Thief/

seems to just be a joule-relay.. its not thiefing anything

Pirate88179 · « **Reply #196 on:** July 24, 2009, 06:22:33 AM »

I have used a lot of super bright and ultra bright leds lately but, even the very small tiny leds I have (regular, not 10mm) need 3.5 volts and about 20 mA's to light. Now, if you have not reversed the polarity on you JT circuit somewhere, which is very easy to do, trust me, a single AA bat. is plenty to fire even an ultrabright.

Try reversing the polarity on your led as these are diodes and will work only one way. Did you use a 2n3904 transistor? If not, you may have one that will not turn on with less than 2.5 volts or so and this could be the reason. The 2n394 will work easily and so should the 3055...maybe some others too but I can't speak to them. If you did not use the 2n3904 then I suspect your transistor requires too much juice to even operate at all.

Bill

sm0ky2 · « **Reply #197 on:** July 24, 2009, 06:28:48 AM »

Quote from: Pirate88179 on July 24, 2009, 06:22:33 AM

I have used a lot of super bright and ultra bright leds lately but, even the very small tiny leds I have (regular, not 10mm) need 3.5 volts and about 20 mA's to light. Now, if you have not reversed the polarity on you JT circuit somewhere, which is very easy to do, trust me, a single AA bat. is plenty to fire even an ultrabright.

Try reversing the polarity on your led as these are diodes and will work only one way. Did you use a 2n3904 transistor? If not, you may have one that will not turn on with less than 2.5 volts or so and this could be the reason. The 2n394 will work easily and so should the 3055...maybe some others too but I can't speak to them. If you did not use the 2n3904 then I suspect your transistor requires too much juice to even operate at all.

Bill

i used the 3904s first, as thats what the instructions said to use, but i also gave it a go with a dozen or so others,
i tested the transistor, they're turning on, power is flowing through them, but its not enough for the LEDs...

not sure whats wrong with my JT..

i'll try re-winding the core with idencitle wire, as mine is currently using 30/32 awg from the crystal-radio kit, two different sized might be the problem.

jeanna · « **Reply #198 on:** July 24, 2009, 06:33:15 AM »

Quote from: sm0ky2 on July 24, 2009, 06:15:49 AM

even with my JT, it takes 2 batteries.... maybe i didnt make the JT "correctly"?? i followed this

http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-a-Joule-Thief/

I had that problem with my first joule thief. I had bought a ferrite magnet from radioshack thinking it was ferrite.

The thing is if the transistor is not operating you will need the 3 volts.
So, something is wrong.
Maybe backwards, maybe wrong part, maybe the transistor was upside down when you identified the E and C.

1-Put the resistor onto the base
2- wrap the toroid with 2 different colored wires and connect the end of one to the beginning of the other. (I like the way they show this part in the Makezine video.)
3-Then you have 3 legs on the transistor (one has the resistor)
You have 3 wires on the toroid. BUT THEY DO NOT MATCH EACH OTHER.
The twisted pair of wires goes to the pos battery lead.
4-The Emitter goes to the neg battery lead.
5- Now you can match up the rest.
Resistor to one free toroid wire.
Collector to the other free toroid wire
Stick the led in to those last wires. (usually the short lead goes to the Emitter, but not always.)

Maybe one of those pieces will help. (I hope)

jeanna

Quote

i'll try re-winding the core with idencitle wire, as mine is currently using 30/32 awg from the crystal-radio kit, two different sized might be the problem.

Sometimes that kind of wire shorts out.
Do you have any tele wire cat/5, I think they call it?

sm0ky2 · « **Reply #199 on:** July 24, 2009, 06:49:15 AM »

'bell wire' is what we call it..

i appreciate the concern, but im a computer engineer, i can do this blindfolded in my sleep....

wire shorting out, possibly, if it gets scratched or kinked..
i'll try with bell wire, i was using the magnet wire because i thought the insulation on the other would be too thick to activate the ferrite.

guess thats all i can do at this point is keep trying different things.

Pirate88179 · « **Reply #200 on:** July 24, 2009, 06:51:37 AM »

Excellent tutorial Jeanna!

The only thing I would add is that I have always used insulated, stranded 22 ga. wire and have had no problems. Other wires obviously work but yes, any kind of mag wire might be too thin and also have a break in the thin coating causing a short like you said. It took me about 3 tries to get my first one to finally work, but once it did, I have had no problems since. I messed up on the twisted pair going to the positive side of the bat. I took 2 wires from the same side of the toroid and twisted them.......didn't work. I needed one from the inside and one from the outside.

Bill

jeanna · « **Reply #201 on:** July 24, 2009, 06:58:02 AM »

Quote from: sm0ky2 on July 24, 2009, 06:49:15 AM

'bell wire' is what we call it..

i appreciate the concern, but im a computer engineer, i can do this blindfolded in my sleep....

Oh good.
I thought you had a lot of this kind of experience. You will get it.
Oh so that is what bell wire is. !!
Bill used stranded, mine is 24gauge single. both have thick plastic. It works fine.

You'll get it.

You will have to hide from some of us, because we love when people make joule thiefs and we love to help them!

jeanna

sm0ky2 · « **Reply #202 on:** July 24, 2009, 07:01:36 AM »

Quote from: jeanna on July 24, 2009, 06:58:02 AM

You'll get it.

You will have to hide from some of us, because we love when people make joule thiefs and we love to help them!

jeanna

im glad to have the help, this is my first attempt at 'thiefing' any joules.. the theory they teach us doesnt allow for this sort of thing

of course, now that im using larger wire, im going to need to find a larger core..

Pirate88179 · « **Reply #203 on:** July 24, 2009, 07:05:45 AM »

Quote from: sm0ky2 on July 24, 2009, 06:49:15 AM

i appreciate the concern, but im a computer engineer, i can do this blindfolded in my sleep....

Evidently not. At least not yet.

So I guess you don't need any help then. That's cool.

Bill

jeanna · « **Reply #204 on:** July 24, 2009, 07:10:53 AM »

Quote from: sm0ky2 on July 24, 2009, 07:01:36 AM

of course, now that im using larger wire, im going to need to find a larger core..

I was just thinking about the core.
I had a lot of trouble with high as well as low permeability cores.
See if you can just get something regular.
I think I already suggested the tor-23 from allelectronics 10/$1.- the frequency can go really high on this one yet it is large enough to fit 11 turns each side of bell

wire.
(It is the one that just did the radiant energy for me)

Goldmine has the medium 5/$1 that people like.

jeanna

sm0ky2 · « **Reply #205 on:** July 24, 2009, 07:24:27 AM »

Quote from: jeanna on July 24, 2009, 06:33:15 AM

2- wrap the toroid with 2 different colored wires and connect the end of one to the beginning of the other. (I like the way they show this part in the Makezine video.)

this is different from the instructable posted above.

bifilar in series vs bifilar in parallel

jeanna · « **Reply #206 on:** July 24, 2009, 07:33:42 AM »

Ah good.
I was always confused by that one on instructables.

Maybe that hit it. The way they splay out the wires on the makezine video helped me.

My trouble was the 3 wires and the 3 legs not matching each other. I just wanted them to.

Good observation,

jeanna

sm0ky2 · « **Reply #207 on:** July 24, 2009, 07:50:35 AM »

its still a no go....

JT just isnt lighting the LED with 1 AA.
still needs 2.

3 different cores, 3 different pairs of wires,
all tried parallel / series
9 transistors, and sore fingers...

ive about had it..... i dont see how this is gonna help my earth battery

altrez · « **Reply #208 on:** July 24, 2009, 01:19:32 PM »

Quote from: sm0ky2 on July 24, 2009, 07:50:35 AM

its still a no go....

JT just isnt lighting the LED with 1 AA.
still needs 2.

3 different cores, 3 different pairs of wires,
all tried parallel / series
9 transistors, and sore fingers...

ive about had it..... i dont see how this is gonna help my earth battery

Do not give up:) Can you post a schematic of your JT along with a picture? I had problems as well when I first stated. Can you use your DMM to get a voltage reading?

The reason the JT can help your earth battery is simple. Once you get enough juice to turn on the JT you can do lots of really cool stuff Like charge battery's / super caps / Light 100s of LEDS / Light floros etc.

-Altrez

IotaYodi · « **Reply #209 on:** July 24, 2009, 04:15:58 PM »

Found this. It may help on parts selection.

http://watsonseblog.blogspot.com/2009/01/joule-thief-high-efficiency-isthe-topic.html

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