Joule Thief

[xee2]

@ jeanna
You are amazing. I always end up with a bunch of broken pieces of plastic when I take the cameras apart. Does it work?

[jeanna]

@ jeanna
You are amazing. I always end up with a bunch of broken pieces of plastic when I take the cameras apart. Does it work?

Microsurgery put to practical use.

It works well. It has a flicker to it. It doesn't turn off completely in the flicker. It is just the way fluros are. Somehow, I thought it wouldn't be so running on the battery as it does.

Next is to get some led's to run on what is left when the fluro runs the battery down. I have a single strand of 35. There is no resistor in that kind, because 120 volts divided by 35 gives the perfect voltage for each light in the string. so, it could be dangerous on a full battery, so, I'll wait.

Also, I am counting the time on this AA. It was from a new camera so it will have some meaning, I think.

Maybe this will help opening up the AA camera.

There are clips all around. I mostly used a flat screwdriver and pryed it up. I went around 2 or 3 times each time finding the next set of clips I had missed before. Once the top/front  was off, I worked the circuit in the same way. There is a rubber gasket around the flash that holds that corner down. A gentle push and pry gets the cap corner off. But in the center of the board where that rectangular hole is is a long post which I think is glued or made from the other side. It breaks easily if you know where it is.

See if that helps on the next AA camera you open. The AAA have 3 pieces that make the switch and they fall out when it is opened. I haven't solved that one. Anyway the switch on the AAA is not a beautiful copper piece like on this one either..

jeanna

[xee2]

@ jeanna

  It should not flicker. It should work exactly like before after you shorted the diode out. That is all that my mods do. The tube is replacing the large cap and the diode is bypassed. Except that everything after the diode is no longer getting power because of the diode lead being cut. This is good since there is stuff after the diode that will steal some power if the diode lead is not cut. Somehow because of the way you have the leads running inside the case you are getting power coupled from the leads going to the tube back into the circuit. At the frequency the circuit is working at power can go from one place to another easily without an actual connection simply through capacitive coupling. That probably doesn't mean much to you, but I think you should take the board out of the case and get it working OK. Then find a way to package it that does not cause problems.

EDIT: But then again, maybe you want it to flicker so it looks like candles.

[timmy1729]

thanks, yup thats it. sometimes it just lit as soon as i put the battery in, sometimes i had to push the button.

@Wilby
How would you recommend I connect the positive and negative to this board? Should I solder a wire in those spots on the board and then connect to those wires?
Thank you very much for your help and patience with my beginner's questions 

[WilbyInebriated]

@Wilby
How would you recommend I connect the positive and negative to this board? Should I solder a wire in those spots on the board and then connect to those wires?
Thank you very much for your help and patience with my beginner's questions 

sure just solder in some wires, if you remove the little silver metal tab thing (i think its for the shutter) that will give you 2 holes to choose for ground. if you remove the diode that would give you a hole for the positive to the bulb as well. i just used alligator clips to test it out.