Joulethief SEC exciter and variants

[boguslaw]

oops, missed post above

[NickZ]

I've got this circuit running on 0.4 volts, and 1.4 mAs, tonight.
It's really is a lot brighter than it looks in the pic, but the flash takes most of the brightness out. The circuit is a Joule Thief, kn2222A, no resistor, led between the C and B, instead of C and E. It's running off of a couple of little pieces of activated carbon and a small piece of aluminum, and some wet table salt. Just for fun... Total output from each little cell is about one volt, and 10 mAs, without a load.

[Slider2732]

Here we go, circuit diagram as mentioned above.

The Positive connection is made to the end of the 36 turn Primary. This means, that if your circuit doesn't fire up, then you can add or drop turns readily, until it does.
This toroid is a grey coloured 1 1/4", a kind gift from Mr. kcarring
Transistor is a 2N6517. I ordered a surprise type box from Electronic Goldmine, one of those lucky dip type of things and several were in there.

The pic below was taken just now, at 6.20pm. It's when the sun is low enough to come directly through the utility room window.
Solar panel is from a regular cheapo solar garden light.
The 20K variable pot, enables lighting from 1.86mA down to 450uA.
The brightness of the neon here, represents around that low an amperage, due to the time of day and being behind a window.



Just went back to measure the actual volts and amps and to check the circuit was still running.
Voltage 1.097V
Amperage 455uA

[Slider2732]

@Slayer
Nice little circuit and very interesting to see that the other stalwart around here of the MPSA06 didn't produce results like the venerable 2N2222A.
I built up something similar this afternoon and used a S9014. But, no joy yet. It intrigues me when something works or doesn't....hats off for finding a transistor that did !

@kcarring
milliwatts...million watts ! 1 million watts per room ! I sure hope to illuminate with all that energy lol

But really, much can be done when you start with HV, where an LED shouldn't even light up
A grey toroid of 1 1/4" and connected differently, lights a neon fine and i'm exploring that for running an exciter etc too. It has less winds, 1000 secondary of 30 gauge, 36 turn primary of 30 gauge. It again had to be tuned up by increasing/decreasing Primary winds, to run from 1.86mA and 1.3V from a solar panel under the CFL lamp.
Will post the circuit of that ASAP, the Positive connects to 1 wire, not the Primary/Secondary pair.

[kcarring]

@slider

@slider. Can you get that thing to illuminate two rooms? Your using 2 milliwatts there... am I asking too much, I don't think so. Planet's burning up ya know.

LOL j/k
excellent work!

[slayer007]

@Lidmotor
Thanks for trying this setup.

@Slider
Slider that looks like amazing results.

@All
In this video I replaced the toroid with two 10uH chokes.
The chokes don't have to be next to each other but I did have to add a 400pf cap from the collector to where the diode and the choke come togeather.
I also removed the 1M resistor.

JT Exciter 3 - YouTube

[broli]

I think what also could be useful is a step down transformer, if you're going to wind the sergdo coil using a high gauge wire you shouldn't expect too much current. And since I doubt someone is going to wind a low gauge coil any time soon then a secondary "conventional" transformer can be used to get the voltage down and amps up. I have ordered a few 100mm OD ferrite ring cores so I can see what this thing can do too.

[Slider2732]

That's another good one

With the time these things take to wind, we may see the following:
"Ok guys, finally wound the 1500 turns. Wife was fine about it, though she says I could have made our daughters wedding instead of sitting at home winding. Didn't know we had a daughter, we didn't when I started this"

[SkyWatcher]

Hi folks, Hi slider, thanks for tips, I'm using a barbecue bamboo skewer 9" long.
I'm at 400 turns and counting.
peace love light
tyson

[Slider2732]

How do you wind yours ?
I've found one way which is quite easy and just brings in the time consuming more than anything.
Take a piece of drinking straw approx 4" long for a 1" toroid
Put tape/hot glue/something to cap the ends.
Wind a rough approximation of turns on the straw, that take the sizing difference into consideration.
Now you can wind, over and over and know that your turns are at least approximate if you lose count.
The capped ends stop the windings of the straw coming off from one end.

Alternatively, a screw or similar with a flat end, will work to limit any wire wanting to unravel off the straw.
Any shorter a piece and the wire filled straw may not go through the hole of the toroid, once some windings are in place.

[SkyWatcher]

Hi folks, Hi slider, watched your video, thanks for sharing.
Since i could not get slayers latest circuit going, i'm winding a ferrite toroid similar size to yours with 30 gauge, have 200 turns so far, a ways to go yet, hehe, we'll see what i can power with it.
I'm also winding a sergdo toroid in between winding this one, me fingers are tired, hehe.
peace love light
tyson

[Slider2732]

@Lidmotor

One volt and 2 mA

WOAH! syncronicity LOL
I'm posting this vid, because it shows just about the simplest version of these type of circuits we've all been making on toroids. It's a bear to wind, 1500 turns of 30 gauge as the secondary, but, it's HV enabled from........one volt and 2mA
The toroid is a completely common 1" yellow, with white on one end, as found in old ATX computer power supplies.

Of interest perhaps to the salts and related cells, I show an idea of charging a small Alum/rainwater/copper/galv steel cell with an R/C batteries wall charger. It's that cell that is shown running the circuit.

1V 2mA HV circuit + Alum cell charge idea - YouTube


Shown here, with the unmodified LED nightlight after several hours.

[Lidmotor]

Slayer's "JT type setup"

@Slayer
I spent the last two days working with that new circuit that you showed. Thanks for posting it. It is very interesting. I'm sure that you have done what I have done and played around with different versions of it. I ran an altered circuit today in the "Exciter" mode on a rather small homemade Mg/Cu crystal cell. One volt and 2 mA.
We have done so many of these circuits by now I am starting to lose track of them. We may have done this before but I don't think so. It really isn't a Joule Thief (blocking oscillator) in this configuration. It is something different. I tried the circuit with an air core bifilar and it didn't work. The small Elelctronic goldmine ferrite toroid worked fine. I used about 20 turns each of 24ga wire on the toroid.

Lidmotor

[SkyWatcher]

Hi folks, Hi slayer, thanks for the info. and reply.
I had a 1/2" ferrite toroid already wound with 30 gauge bifilar and i still only get a faint glow on the led.
I wonder if those big towers you have nearby are helping the function somehow of your circuit or it's a very small window of operation setup you have there.
peace love light
tyson

[jehdds]

Laurent,
Thank you for the tips. Here is an idea that I used on my Kromrey build and perhaps it would work on the toroid as well.
PTFE Teflon plumbing tape. Very good dielectric per thickness and is self adhesive and easy to remove. Blue Monster brand is twice as thick as normal Teflon tape. Have you ever tried that?
Thank you again. I would really like to see striking a 60 watt / 13 watt LED equivalent at a lower draw. I think it is possible.
Very Best Regards,
Jim