Joule Ringer!

[lanenal]

Thanks for the update and directions lasersaber.  Looks like you've really got it dialed in.  Are you still using the Fuji transistor?

The transistor seems to be H1061, see page 17 of this thread, where lasersaber gave an updated diagram, talking about running JR for a few seconds WITHOUT the capacitor.

modify: see attached.

[conradelektro]

Hi,

I have two entry level questions:

1. How do you generally make a bifiler? do you first twist the two wires before you start winding? 

2. How do you prepare the CFL? Do you rip off the circuits inside the CFL first?

Thanks!

lanenal

Answer to question 1: Do not twist the wires when winding a bifilar coil, just wind them like they are one wire (in parallel, next to each other).

Answer to question 2: I always remove the electronics hidden in the base of a CFL when I use the CFL for Joule Thief or Joule Ringer type experiments.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Elektronstarterp.jpg

Be careful when you open the base of the lamp. Best insert the blade of a knife in the circular slit (barely visible) and twist to make the slit wider till it springs open; one can easily break the glass tube, take care and take time to do it.

Carefully unwind the rather stiff wires coming from the glass-tube from the little poles on the little circuit board. In some models, the wires coming from the glass-tube are fixed to the circuit board by clips, just cut the wires and leave them as long as possible. The wires coming from the glass tube break easily when bent often.

From each end of the tube (spiral glass tube or U-shaped glass tube) two wires stick out. I twist them together or use just one from each end. I have seen CFLs with two independent glass-tubes.

I always leave the glass-tube on the disk-shaped plastic support to which it is glued by some cement.

It is against all safety regulations to open up the base of a CFL, you do it at your own risk. People with two left hands should not do it.

Greetings, Conrad

[lanenal]

Answer to question 1: Do not twist the wires when winding a bifilar coil, just wind them like they are one wire (in parallel, next to each other).

Answer to question 2: I always remove the electronics hidden in the base of a CFL when I use the CFL for Joule Thief or Joule Ringer type experiments.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Elektronstarterp.jpg

Be careful when you open the base of the lamp. Best insert the blade of a knife in the circular slit (barely visible) and twist to make the slit wider till it springs open; one can easily break the glass tube, take care and take time to do it.

Carefully unwind the rather stiff wires coming from the glass-tube from the little poles on the little circuit board. In some models, the wires coming from the glass-tube are fixed to the circuit board by clips, just cut the wires and leave them as long as possible. The wires coming from the glass tube break easily when bent often.

From each end of the tube (spiral glass tube or U-shaped glass tube) two wires stick out. I twist them together or use just one from each end. I have seen CFLs with two independent glass-tubes.

I always leave the glass-tube on the disk-shaped plastic support to which it is glued by some cement.

It is against all safety regulations to open up the base of a CFL, you do it at your own risk. People with two left hands should not do it.

Greetings, Conrad

Thank you Conrad, that is really very helpful!

For those who are interested, here is a datasheet for H1061. see attached.

cheers,

lanenal

[Montec]

Hello lanenel

I think the red dot at post 5 should be at post 6 for the red wire to be counter wound to the 21 layer winding.

The schematic looks good otherwise.

[conradelektro]

May be it is off topic, I did some tests about the power consumption when driving a CFL by help of a fly back transformer:

Attached see a circuit which is in essence a MOSFET with a pulse width modulated signal at its gate. The MOSFET drives the primary of a fly back transformer.

By programming a TI-launch pad

http://processors.wiki.ti.com/index.php/MSP430_LaunchPad_(MSP-EXP430G2)?DCMP=launchpad&HQS=Other+OT+launchpadwiki

I can create whatever pulse signal I want.

The best result is a 300 Hz signal with a 0.9% duty cycle. At 2 Volts it lights up a 15 Watt CFL with about 3 mA.  This 6 Milliwatt operation is the lowest I could get. The CFL is nicely visible in the dark (like a night light) but does not have any use.

To get useful light I need 10.000 Hz with a duty cycle of 30%. This means 150 mA at 2 Volt, i.e. 0.3 Watt.

If one is modest, 3000 Hz with a duty cycle of 8% needs about 25 mA at 2 Volt, i.e. 50 Milliwatt, and produces a modest light which allows you to pass through a room without hitting anything.

Never mind the crude contraption, it is only to test many MOSFETs and fly back transformers. I will build a nicer lamp, but the program still needs some more work. The microprocessor needs less than a Milliwatt and the whole Launch Pad costs less than 5 Euros (including the USB-cable), so it can stay in the finished lamp.

The MOSFET used is crutial, because many MOSFETS do not operate well below 3 Volt.

The best I found: VISHAY SILICONIX - SI2377EDS-T1-GE3 - MOSFET,P KANAL,20V,4.4A,DIODE,ESD,SOT23
Farnell Order Code: 1858946  (0.48 Euro)
0.1 Ohm at 1.8 Volt
(this MOSFET is terribly small, a pain to solder and to use, P-channel, 1 = OFF, 0 = ON)

This experiment serves to show what sort of low power operation of a CFL can be done with "conventional means".

But LaserSaber's circuit and his famous transformer seem to light a CFL much more efficiently, although it seems to need quite a high Voltage (up to 80 Volt) to start it up and to work for some minutes on an electrolytic capacitor. (The initial power input might well be in the Watts.)

This experiment also shows that it is indeed necessary to build "something unconventional" to have it "ring" for some minutes with only an electrolytic capacitor.

Greetings, Conrad