KA4EP Torch (kacher torch)

[Madebymonkeys]

Okay, so this started as akula lantern4 and Lasersaber joule looper (tesla torch)...

Like a kacher; a low inductance drives a high inductance, and the self-feedback tunes oscillation.


L1 is Primary
L2 is Secondary
D1 is base diode
D2/D3 are load diodes
C1 is Power supply
C2 is the topload capacitor


B1 is battery (optional external power source)


Topload would be equivalent to a tesla coil topload.

Hi d3x0r,

It seems to me you could achieve the same outcome with less noise and vastly reduced cost using an off the shelf step-up from the likes of On-Semiconductor, Torex or TI. You would also have massively lower quiescent current too.
In my opinion, and I use converters all the time, is that the circuit is a highly inefficient version of something which many semiconductor manufacturers made extremely efficient some time ago.

Do correct me if I am wrong, I am just struggling to see what the purpose of the circuit is.

[d3x0r]

Could be there's a package the accomplishes the same thing; just from lack of experience I wouldn't know how to search out and locate such a thing....


This is a TL494 variation, and has some features I recently discovered make this work better...

[d3x0r]

Oops clicked post too soon.
There was another version that used a mc34063(something) that's a switching inverter chip; need to locate that...
(rough version attached, I guess nothing was actually released from akula for this one)
--


SJR looper is part of the core
ФОНАРЬ №4 D.R..  Is the load portion...


But in itself as a hybrid this is a pretty good circuit... better than joule thieves I've made even though it has a complexity of parts, it's only $5 and most of that is in the capacitors.

[d3x0r]

Older implementation ... experimenting with coils....


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHqlfgXNYZU


30W akula schematic is close; I had swapped for TL494 driver instead of self-driving kacher style; had to reverse the LEDs.  ... It's uhmm positive voltage based so the secondary coil is reversed.

[Madebymonkeys]

Could be there's a package the accomplishes the same thing; just from lack of experience I wouldn't know how to search out and locate such a thing....


This is a TL494 variation, and has some features I recently discovered make this work better...

The TL494 is from TI and its a DC-DC controller.
Farnell is a good place to source parts and has a good search function.

I am struggling to make sense of the Russian(?) schematic - looks to me like a strangely designed DC-DC converter. It has a start and stop momentary switch, is the idea for it to be started and then it runs, generating power without the battery? If so, it won't work, but do try it because what do I know!

As for your circuit, it looks like your intention is to just generate more volts than are input - for the purpose of lightning higher voltage LEDs or strings of LEDs? This can be achieved for about $1 and much more efficiently than shown. As I suggested, a search on Farnell for DC-DC converters or step-up converters will yield results.