Joule Thief

[xee2]

@ Pirate88179

Steps I took:
1. REMOVED LARGE CAPACITOR. Short with screw driver first. This is large enough to cause serious damage.
2. Cut lead at anode end of diode and fasten one end of tube to cathode end lead (end with the line on it).
3. Cut out neon bulb. Leave lead going to resistor. Fasten other end of tube to neon bulb lead going to resistor.
4. Short little lines on one side of holes to the lines on the other side of hole on trace side of board where shown in photo.

My circuit has stopped working so it seems they are easily damage (probably the transistor).

[Freezer]

Good job Bill. 
The neon didn't really make it brighter, but seemed to make it more stable.  What makes a difference is the battery you use.  I found the duracell was the best of what I had to work with as far as pure output.  The two circuits in tandem still act out of sinc so I have to first switch to the neon, then the 2nd output and its stable.  Maybe xee knows why.

[xee2]

@ Pirate88179

You posted your success while I was posting so I guess you do not need it. Maybe it will help someone else.

[Pirate88179]

@xee2:

Yes, I did get it working but thank you.  I am sure that will help someone, you made it very clear.  Sorry to hear your stopped working. Something on mine, either the crystal or the transformer, emits a very high frequency sound.  This sound was louder with the short tube than with the longer one.  I am going to try to find a really long tube and give it a go.  did your transistor get hot at all?  If so, maybe a heat sink of some kind might correct this?


@ Freezer:

Thanks for the info on the neon.  Is there anyway you can start them both at exactly the same time to "sync" them?  May not be possible.  Can you add a vr to each so you can "tune" them kind of like what Dr. Stiffler was doing?

@ all:

What about the power coming from where the flash bulb was?  Can we use jumper wires and add this to our circuit to the tube?  I will be tied up with work this week but I want to try several things now that this is working for me.

Bill

[Pirate88179]

@ xee2:

I just noticed on your instructions that you say to cut the diode lead?  I did not do this.  Mine is still in the circuit.  Just for what that's worth. ***EDIT***  Also, I attached my other lead to the left side of where the resistor was that we removed, not the one you are showing.  I looked on the circuit board, it may end up being the same thing but I don't think so.

Bill