Joule Thief

[altrez]

frequency my friend frequency. do you by chance know of the frequency of the stun gun output?

Would you happen to know of a good way for me to find out? I have a few multimeter's and a Scope. I just do not want to fry my testing equipment trying to find out

Thanks!

-Altrez

[xee2]

New low for me. 43 ma to light 20 watt tube. Data for TIP31C but 2N3055 gives similar results using a 2K base resistor instead of 1K.

[jeanna]

   ...
the idea that the frequency is going to play a part in how well the tube will light up. With normal setup on FL's, it runs on 60hz. Does the length of the tube fall on one of the 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 or full for wave length. Do we need to find the right frequency so the nodes will make an exact fit for the length of the tube used? ....

   Think I will setup a transistor with the gate to my signal gen and see what frequency will make the FL's I have fly.

I look forward to seeing the results of this test. It is possibly one very important link here.

I remember in december (!) the 7 watt tube was decidedly harder to get to light than the 15 watt tube. I was using the fuji then.

thank you,

jeanna

[jeanna]

Would you happen to know of a good way for me to find out?a Scope. I just do not want to fry my testing equipment trying to find out

Right.
Open the scope box and do not use it on the stun gun until you are sure how to use the scope. Please. I want some company using this scope.
It is quite nice even if I cannot share the results with everybody.
If you put the x10 slide on the probe along with the x10 button you will be able to read something whose peak is 1000 v, but you will kill it if you don't have those set right.

The length of the spark is directly related to the voltage.

I don't have any more time this weekend but you can find it by key words of "spark length" to volts... stuff like that.

then please let us know.

jeanna

add:
@Stprue
xee's wrapping wire is the stuff I called "kynar". xee gave the name that is on the package. kynar is somewhere on the package too. It seems like aluminum wire covered with gutta percha - or some modern equivalent. very rubbery coating.
30 gauge so be gentle.
My Radio Shack only has it in white.

[AbbaRue]

Years ago I was playing with a 12,000 volt neon sign transformer making HV sparks.
I had my digital meter sitting on the Buffet about 10 ft away and it was turned off.
I suddenly noticed a cloud of smoke coming from the meter. 
Even though the meter was 10 ft away and turned off the HV field fried it.
Just wanted to mention this so no one fries there meters or Oscilloscopes.
Playing with HV is strange stuff, now I keep my digital meter well away from it.