New comer needs any and all help

[jhsmith87]

Won't let me edit that last post. But I want to ask you about the coil.  when I'm wrapping the 2 wires do I need to twist them together so that's a twist as they make each turn. Or would it be okay 2 just wrap them side by side without twisting before they go on the spool

[TinselKoala]

No, you don't need to twist the wires at all. And you don't have to be obsessively neat, either. Just try to wind up with a fairly even wind all along your core.


Here's something that might be of interest.

I have a bunch of 2n3055 transistors, some new and some used, some from different manufacturers. I found several in there that run the motor just fine but will not light up the neon at all. These transistors must be partly failed inside or just not as good as the others. I've been swapping and testing transistors all afternoon. Just because a transistor won't light the neon, it still might work to drive the rotor. There is only a tiny difference in the scope traces so I don't know what the explanation is, except that the transistors might be failing partially at high voltages but can still work OK for the 12-volt drive pulse.

This makes it a bit hard to test for you. I think you should have a transistor that does light up the neon, but bear in mind that some transistors of the same type might not work the same way. You might get a running motor without lighting the neon, but of course it's better if you do have a transistor that will light it up.
(It is possible to light the neon between Base and Collector, but that's not the way you want to have it hooked up. The right way is from Emitter to Collector.)

Anyhow.... yes, it is a really easy circuit, but it does have its subtleties. Like the coil phasing thing. Don't forget to try reversing the leads of one coil. Just go ahead and try all four possible combinations of hookup for the two coils.  Two ways should work and two won't.

[TinselKoala]

On the TV: BE CAREFUL !!

There are big capacitors in there that can hold a LETHAL charge for a long time, days or weeks even. You can discharge the caps carefully by using a jumper with a 1 k resistor and shorting the cap terminals to ground. Keep one hand in your pocket until you know all the caps are discharged.

There are a bunch of good parts in there. The flyback transformer is what I always pull out first, you can see what I do with it by looking at my YT channel for "extreme high voltage jacob's ladder". There are also many useful capacitors and other components in there too.

If you take apart a lot of stuff you might like to get a "desoldering pump" at Rat Shack. It's a handheld spring-plunger suction thing that sucks up the molten solder when you are trying to free a component from a circuit. Very handy and will pay for itself the first time you take apart a TV circuit board.

[jhsmith87]

 thanks for telling me that the coils don't have to be perfect. Because I read  in a posting somewhere that's a corals had to be wrapped very neatly. Since then have been obsessing over having them perfect. Right now I'm just finishing up because I'll I'm at 600 turns right now I think I'll go to 900. I'll be able to get my phone take some pictures of what I've done so far maybe tomorrow but it's only the coil.

[jhsmith87]

On the TV: BE CAREFUL !!

There are big capacitors in there that can hold a LETHAL charge for a long time, days or weeks even. You can discharge the caps carefully by using a jumper with a 1 k resistor and shorting the cap terminals to ground. Keep one hand in your pocket until you know all the caps are discharged.

There are a bunch of good parts in there. The flyback transformer is what I always pull out first, you can see what I do with it by looking at my YT channel for "extreme high voltage jacob's ladder". There are also many useful capacitors and other components in there too.

If you take apart a lot of stuff you might like to get a "desoldering pump" at Rat Shack. It's a handheld spring-plunger suction thing that sucks up the molten solder when you are trying to free a component from a circuit. Very handy and will pay for itself the first time you take apart a TV circuit board.

Yea I've been playing with caps since Jr high. I must say I been shocked more than my share.. I have no clue what's in a TV this is the first one I'm taking apart. I did take a microwave apart not long ago. I love that transformer in them. I think I've seen a few of your videos before. I been watching clips on yt about circuits for a while the bedini is what I been watching most though