Joule Thief

[gadgetmall]

she fried .. melted the tiny #36 wire and appears to have blow the germanium ..   But i know how to rebuild it

Dam got to 7 volts and could take no more.. .. i ran out of resistance on my resistor wheel .. it took out the leds too

This was an AWSOME Machine !!!. I have to do it again !!.

[NickZ]

  I've seen something similar when a small cap like a 103 gets put into a HF circuit that is running along with a couple of 1n4148 diodes, like in an Av plug, but with a small value cap instead of the led. The voltage goes way up, but the current does not. Check your current readings, that may be what is happening.
Maybe you can add more load to the circuit so the leds don't blow. Like a flashlight multi led  bulb with 5 or more leds. I'm lighting ten leds. It looks like the diodes can be replaced with an led, also, as leds are also one way diodes.  The led in place of the (diode) lights both ways (polarity) when holding with my fingers.
Yes, the led turns a funny color before going bye bye. I see that too.
    Sounds like you are having fun.

[conradelektro]

she fried .. melted the tiny #36 wire and appears to have blow the germanium ..   But i know how to rebuild it

Dam got to 7 volts and could take no more.. ..

This was an AWSOME Machine !!!. I have to do it again !!.

@gadgetmall: may be you can build two replications. It would be more credible and also more instructive for yourself if each of the two devices runs up the voltage in its drive capacitor. I also would try to make a cleaner build (less clips and no loose wires).

And of course, other people can only replicate in case you provide a circuit and component specifications.

Greetings, Conrad

[gadgetmall]

@gadgetmall: may be you can build two replications. It would be more credible and also more instructive for yourself if each of the two devices runs up the voltage in its drive capacitor. I also would try to make a cleaner build (less clips and no loose wires).

And of course, other people can only replicate in case you provide a circuit and component specifications.

Greetings, Conrad

I did . I made three . in that last three days . the other two are running perfect and rising slow but steady . . you must have missed it . My last one was the one that ran over 7 volts off that configuration . the other two are over 1.9 volts and are more balanced and don;t use a germanium / darlington . I posted all that info in the last 5 pages.. i am on my forth one . HV E-core .. but now i want to rebuild the coolest circuit in the world again with  the mini rod. won't take long to rewind it.

i got enough parts to build about 15 more.
I am thinking about cutting a goldmine torroid in half and winding that with the same #36 except this time use a bifialar litz on the primary.. . the runnaway occured when i wrapped the rest of my primary wire to 18 turns. ..
gadget

[TinselKoala]

Just a thought about non-contact measurement of this circuit.

Maybe you could have a photocell (connected to a scope)measuring the light out from the LED and it would also show the oscillation?

Use the LED side of an optoisolator like H11D1 for the led?

Just checking in, I haven't been able to do any work because I've been dealing with another problem---looks like FedEx has lost two boxes of a threebox shipment of my test equipment..... grrr... a Tek scope, a good power supply, and a bunch of other gear including a 750 dollar Shimpo optical tachometer.... missing, last seen last week in Ohio and Fort Worth.
One box did arrive safely and intact on Monday. I've been on the phone with FedEx for days, it seems.

Anyhow, great progress! I hope to spend some time on the circuit this evening.