Joule Thief

[NickZ]

  I have burnt out several of my ungutted CFL bulbs as well as the small green AC caps that are found in the LED bulbs by giving them too high a voltage, for long periods of time.
The best thing is to have 110 or 220 volts readings with the bulb on. As applying higher voltages will be sacrificing the current levels, and current is also important, not just voltage like with the Exciter type circuits.  Try the 30 gauge first as you already have it on it. It can be changed later. About 10 to 1 ratio is what Lasersaber recommends, for the secondary to primary coil windings. But, leave some extra wire unwound so that you can tune the primary if needed, later.
  Here is what you need to do to tune these Joule Ringer circuits to maximum efficiency.
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVXzGcyzu6o

[SkyWatcher123]

Hi nick, thanks for the information and video link.
I wired up the 4 ferrite bead using the 320 turns 30 awg. and 65 bifilar turns 24awg., which is around a 5 to 1 ratio., using the meissner circuit first.
Picked up an ecosmart 40 watt dimmable led bulb today and that lights up to full brightness with this circuit, tried the cree 40 watt led dimmable bulb and that does not light up at all with this circuit.
It is drawing 500 milliamps at 12.1 volts or 6.05 watts.
2n3055 transistor gets warm, bulb after 30 minutes gets warm, though no where near the heat that the grid power creates.
On the grid power, you can't touch the heatsink for long without having to pull fingers away, though with this circuit, it's probably less than half the heat and i can hold it all day.
I tried to check volts at bulb while loaded and it shows nothing on AC or DC, though if i quickly touch probes on and off, i can see brief readings of around 30 volts, but no reliable reading, wonder if it is getting to much voltage.
Maybe some more primary winds would help or give the joule ringer wiring a try.
peace love light
tyson

[NickZ]

  @ Skywatcher
  Yes, it seams that the internal circuit in some of the LED bulbs do not like some of the Ringers working system, it may just be too high a voltage for them, which can be adjusted by adding or removing turns of wire.
People have had good luck using the Utilitec 7.5 watt bulb, as well as a couple of others.
   I get good results on the small incandescent 7 watt bulbs, as I really like the light given off by them, and they work well with the circuit also.
  I use an analog meter which does read the voltages at the bulb, although the reading from my circuit goes off the scale and is over 1000 volts, it is more like 1500 volts, or so. But the amp scale has fried on my meter (all of my meters) due to work done with the Exciter circuits.
  Anyways, good to hear that you got your circuit up and running.

[Pirate88179]

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


I modified a Coleman Lantern for a friend of mine.  Now it runs on 1 battery and not eight D cells.  He wanted a red filter on it to preserve his night vision....I found a way to do that and it is easily removed.

Bill

[SkyWatcher123]

Hi pirate, thanks for sharing the video.
Awesome light, very ingenious modifications.
I have an led lantern that i modified sometime back, though putting a cree bulb or similar in, is a great idea.
peace love light
tyson