Joule Thief

[Pirate88179]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGmkP2FC3n8

This is a quick video of a resistance substitution box kit that I built a few weekends ago.  It is a really well designed kit and cost only $15.00 (US) free shipping, from Amazon.

I added the banana plugs to the front and I also added a 1 K linear taper VR to the rear with its own banana plugs.

This is very useful when tuning jt circuits.

Bill

[electricme]

@Bill,
Well done mate, always great to add another bit of testing kit to the electronic tools kit box.


Has anyone hooked a small solar cell to a JT yet, probably, I have been away from here far too long now.


On the 3 watt resistors, when the joule thief gets some higher output grunt, the 1/4 watt resistors will smoke, that's when you use the 3 watters, when "they" smoke go to the 5 watters, they can handle a lot more heat.


In the mean time stick with the 1/4 watters.


Has anyone tried paralling up the joule thiefs yet? I mean at least 10?
Parallel = higher output power
Use a single JT as the primary to keep all the others in sync so all the outputs don't fight against each other?


Jim.


To all it's hot here..... over night temp was 27C or 80F been freezing up in your neck of the woods!

[crowclaw]

@ Bill,  Nice job and a very useful bit of kit. Do you have a variable power supply? if not another possible project for you mate. Merv

[crowclaw]

Jim.


To all it's hot here..... over night temp was 27C or 80F been freezing up in your neck of the woods!

Hi Jim... here in the UK we have had a prolonged wet spell causing wide spread floods and cold weather in many regions with several towns and villages virtually cut off by swollen rivers. The forecast is unchanged with more heavy rain and strong winds yet to come. We live on higher ground so very lucky compared with thousands of flooded homes and businesses elsewhere around the country. ROLL ON SUMMER!!
Regards Merv.

[Pirate88179]

@Bill,
Well done mate, always great to add another bit of testing kit to the electronic tools kit box.


Has anyone hooked a small solar cell to a JT yet, probably, I have been away from here far too long now.


On the 3 watt resistors, when the joule thief gets some higher output grunt, the 1/4 watt resistors will smoke, that's when you use the 3 watters, when "they" smoke go to the 5 watters, they can handle a lot more heat.


In the mean time stick with the 1/4 watters.


Has anyone tried paralling up the joule thiefs yet? I mean at least 10?
Parallel = higher output power
Use a single JT as the primary to keep all the others in sync so all the outputs don't fight against each other?


Jim.


To all it's hot here..... over night temp was 27C or 80F been freezing up in your neck of the woods!

Jim:

Great to see you here.  Thanks for the kind words.  I made a video about a month ago where I hooked 2 jt flash circuits in parallel and the 60 watt equiv. led bulb was a lot brighter.  I made a custom test bed for these experiments and then added another 2 into the circuit.  When switching on the 3rd in the circuit there was no additional increase and the same with adding the 4th.  That is as far as I have gotten.  I really want to add at least two in series but that gets tricky with these flash circuits.

It has been really, really cold here.  (and I work outside!!)  One day recently, we were down to -18F with the wind chill.

Take care,

Bill