Joule Thief

[electricme]

@Protonmom,

Several things can be done to help make a battery last longer, the temperature of the battery, if it's very cold it won't put out as much energy.
If it's a nicad, then it may be sufferring from memory effect, to fix that place a simple torch light bulb on it and let it drain, when the light goes out remove the battery and let it stand a half hour and try again, do this a few times and then recharge it.
If the cell has dendrites inside, blow them out by charging a 16volt 1000uF capacitor up and discharge the cap into the battery (watch out for the polarity) sometimes fixes it, do that about 3 times, if it comes good, then you saved your battery. Just don't touch both of the caps wires with the fingers or it will discharge through them.


Switch your multimeter to Amps (low range), move one of the probe leads to the correct socket (amps) leave the black or neg lead in the same socket, place the multimeter in series with a fully charged battery + and you should then read off the current that is being drawn from the battery.

A data logger would be the best choice but they are a bit scarce, even down my way, maybe there is someone out there who has a free software datalogger they can point us to.

Substitute a C or a D size single cell to drive the CFL, that will make it light much longer, but I think we just want to use the AA cells.

Miniaturising the electronics (using SMD devices) can also lower the current being drawn.

jim

[nievesoliveras]

Hi everybody!
My Pc machine is erratic.

What I have been trying to do with the camera circuit is to make it run the cfl and charge the yellow cap that is on the circuit at the same time, then find a way to discharge it through a diode to the battery's positive terminal.

Maybe somebody with more experience with electronics can do it.

********

I did a test with my old pvc motor. I ran the motor with a circuit I had that converted 1.5v to 12 volts.

While the motor was running I took the diode used to charge a battery and touched the 1.5v battery's positive terminal. Instantly the battery was recovered to its full voltage.

If I let the diode connected, the battery went down, But if I just touch it once in a while it recovered its voltage fully.

That is the circuit we need to build.

Jesus

[Pirate88179]

Protonmom:

Jim is correct.  Also, you could increase the value of the resistor used in the circuit.  This will lower the power going into the circuit but also lower the output.  You could also use instead a Variable Resistor and adjust for brightness vs amp draw and find the sweet spot. I use C batteries on 2 of my light devices and they last a very long time.  All of the other I use an AA battery, but I get them for free so it does not matter to me.  (I use "dead" ones that others would throw away)

Jesus:

That sounds like a very interesting circuit.  Do you have a schematic you could post of your idea?

Bill

[resonanceman]

I replaced the battery in the protonM light and it has been running for 4 hours now and is still lit the same.  I cannot stay up any longer tonight (this morning, actually) so it will go out sometime while I am sleeping again.  The voltage, btw, was 1.46 on this battery before I turned the light back on.

Since I have only made it to around page 59 on the Jule thief forum (as far as catch up reading) I am really way behind.  But someday I will eventually get caught up.  Meanwhile, does anyone know if there is a way I can add something to the fuji circuit to make the battery last longer?  Or, if this has been covered, can you give me the page number so I can look it up?  Thanks.

Protonmom

I think the best thing that you could to to  make your lights last longer is to make a ringer.

I have been playing with the ringer circuit off and on for a while now....my best only rings a few seconds....... but I will get there.

Once I get my ringer to run quite a while I am going to try to drive it with a JT.
If  you put a large cap......like 5 to 10MF  then crank up the resistance in the  tank many JTs will blink an array of LEDs like a strobe.......one fast bright flash every few seconds.
It sounds perfect for pulse charging the cap of the ringer .

I am thinking that the caps that work well for the ringer should be ideal for converting pulses into usable power.

gary

[resonanceman]

Hi everybody!
My Pc machine is erratic.

What I have been trying to do with the camera circuit is to make it run the cfl and charge the yellow cap that is on the circuit at the same time, then find a way to discharge it through a diode to the battery's positive terminal.

Maybe somebody with more experience with electronics can do it.

********

I did a test with my old pvc motor. I ran the motor with a circuit I had that converted 1.5v to 12 volts.

While the motor was running I took the diode used to charge a battery and touched the 1.5v battery's positive terminal. Instantly the battery was recovered to its full voltage.

If I let the diode connected, the battery went down, But if I just touch it once in a while it recovered its voltage fully.

That is the circuit we need to build.

Jesus

Jesus

I hope that you post more about this circuit

gary