Joule Thief

[jeanna]

@ jeanna

Thanks. Here is a simple test we can do.

With the neon circuit (last circuit I posted) if I use a 500 ohm base resistor the neon will light. But if I use a 1K base resistor the neon will not light. That is with my 20 turn sloppy solenoid pickup coil. Can you check to see if a 20 turn MK1 pickup coil will light the neon with a 1K base resistor in the same circuit? I think this is what you have except for the 1K resistor.

This is interesting.
The transistor/toroid combo  won't even turn on at 1k ohm.
I used a 1k ohm pot.
At 235r the scope says the secondary is making 199-200volts across the leads.and the neon light turns on with a pop. It stays on longer if I turn it down, but I figure this is a better number.
BUT
My neon has a 32.4K ohm resistor built into it. (radio shack neon)
So, maybe this is a good test, but not a great test for us.

Does this tell you something?

jeanna

[jeanna]

Hi All,
This is what the big globe light diffuser looks like with one of those 3 led push lights in the base.
It has a blue-ish hue to my eyes, but not this much. Pretty.
I think with 40 leds this will look like a real light. It is about 10 inches in diameter.

good night,

jeanna

[xee2]

@ jeanna

I did not have a 30K resistor so I put a 50K resistor in series with the neon so that we have closer to the same thing. The neon lights brightly with a 500 ohm base resistor and only lights half way up when I add the 50K resistor in series with the neon. I will add photos later.

I think you said the MK1 would not light neon with a 500 ohm base resistor. To me, this would indicate that the MK1 coil is not providing as much power out as the solenoid coil. Does that seem like a reasonable conclusion to you?

Photos are with 500 ohm base resistor. Sorry about the blur.

[Pirate88179]

Hi All,
This is what the big globe light diffuser looks like with one of those 3 led push lights in the base.
It has a blue-ish hue to my eyes, but not this much. Pretty.
I think with 40 leds this will look like a real light. It is about 10 inches in diameter.

good night,

jeanna

Jeanna:

That is a beautiful light there!  Where did you find that?  And, how much?  I wonder if the light would be more diffused if you filled it with water or mineral oil? (Like my tube coil light experiment)  I want to get one of those to play with.

Bill

[stprue]

@stprue

One more picture , this is how it should look.

Mark

Its probably the like hazen , but i am not sure.

Ok so I need to ask a question and stated some facts!  The machanics of winding a toroid which is a circle creats sprial looping that is going in a particular direction.  In your altered pic.  the first turn back down is already inbetween the first wire but you see no cross overs.  There needs to be a crossover.  This means that it is being crossed over on the underside and then on the inside which leaves the outside all ////// and the inside /XXXX and one of undersides XXXX. Is this true because in the altered pic on the first turn back it is already on the other side or inbetween itself?