Joule Thief

[TheNOP]

This will increase tube life...  which I still fail to see why these things burn out, theoretically, they shouldn't, if they're sealed and made well, they should last as long as LED's or longer.

Perhaps they're design is a failure, but their principle of operation is a success?

it resume to : everything degrade with time, more stress = degrade faster.

My understanding, such as it is at this moment, is that the output from the JT circuit is AC.  Even if it is pulsed DC, which is still up to some debate, the trigger coil I am speaking of "should" output real AC. (maybe not?)

the trigger coil you speak of is an autotransformer.
they are normally use for high voltage, low current applications.
such a transformers are used in applications that do not require circuits isolation.
autotransformer are sharing a common "ground" wire.

@all,
My PC came down with a major Virus and Trojan attacks (3) and BackDoor Bots.
So I've been off air a couple of days, hopefully it is all OK now.

I was using Firefox ...

your antivirus should have detected those before they even got installed and run, they are old virii.

also, you are the first one who dare say he was infected using Firefox.
had you changed its default settings for some less secure settings ?

Can anybody describe how a mains meter works?
I mean the meter the power company uses to determine how many amps of power you are taking from their power plant?

What is the basis onwhich it works?

they are induction based, like motors.
they use Lenz's law to their advantage.
a current flow create a mag field that, when put near an aluminium disk, will influence it.

[xee2]

@ jeanna

If you use a scope to measure the voltage across a resistor you are also measuring instantaneous current since the current is just voltage divided by the resistance (just like you measure current using your 10 ohm resistor).

Current is the number of electrons that flow through the wire. Voltage is how hard the electrons push on each other. If you have a capacitor charged to 100 volts then it contains a lot a electrons pushing on each other with 100 volts of force. If you connect it to a capacitor charged to 50 volts with a wire then the electrons will flow from the 100 volt capacitor to the 50 volt capacitor since they are being pushed on harder at 100 volts than at 50 volts. A return wire is needed to make a complete circuit when you do this. The current is the flow of electrons between the capacitors. If there is no wire connection between the capacitors then there is no place for the electrons to be pushed and they stay in the capacitor.

[Pirate88179]

@ Xee2:

Thanks for that information.

@ Jeanna:

Jeanna!!!!! I did what you said and I just lit 100 leds from the earth battery!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You were right, this is what I did way back I had just forgotten. I had used the supercap with the JT back then and that is why I was trying it with the EB JT circuit BUT, I could not run the JT and then put a supercap after it like I was suggesting earlier because, my JT output would blow the cap. (I knew there was a reason I didn't do that.)  I had originally just tried to run the Fuji off the EB alone and....no go.  Now, I did as you suggested, nothing except the EB powering the Fuji and one 2.3 10 Farad supercap in parallel and.....they all light!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (String of 100 led Christmas lights) This may be a record of some kind.

I am now off to make a video once it gets a little darker outside.

Thanks so much Jeanna!  I guess I am learning so much new stuff that some of the old stuff is going out the other side of my brain, ha ha.  It must be full.

Video forthcoming.

Bill

[WilbyInebriated]

bravo bill!
i got 5 stars ready for your vid.
let's see one with a fluoro too 

[nievesoliveras]

@ Xee2:

Thanks for that information.

@ Jeanna:

Jeanna!!!!! I did what you said and I just lit 100 leds from the earth battery!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You were right, this is what I did way back I had just forgotten. I had used the supercap with the JT back then and that is why I was trying it with the EB JT circuit BUT, I could not run the JT and then put a supercap after it like I was suggesting earlier because, my JT output would blow the cap. (I knew there was a reason I didn't do that.)  I had originally just tried to run the Fuji off the EB alone and....no go.  Now, I did as you suggested, nothing except the EB powering the Fuji and one 2.3 10 Farad supercap in parallel and.....they all light!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (String of 100 led Christmas lights) This may be a record of some kind.

I am now off to make a video once it gets a little darker outside.

Thanks so much Jeanna!  I guess I am learning so much new stuff that some of the old stuff is going out the other side of my brain, ha ha.  It must be full.

Video forthcoming.

Bill

Congratulations @pirate!!!!

Jesus