Joule Ringer!

[SkyWatcher]

Oh and it is using a TIP42 PNP transistor

[Nick_Z]

Thanks for showing your latest circuit.
You might also want to try to place a ferrite rod into the center of the core, if possible. I've tested my circuit with and without a one inch, or the bigger 3 inch ferrite rod, for tuning of the core. It does increase the brightness of the bulb.
As with any Exciter, the more turns on the secondary, the higher the output.
Higher voltage is not always needed when using the ungutted Cfls, and their internal circuit are damaged by a voltage/current input that is too high.
The gutted Cfls can be dimmed by lowering the input current. A regular AC house light dimmer will also work.

"Lynx Steam"- has several very good videos of his Joule Ringer type solar system set up, you might want to check those out, if you haven't seen them already. He is using a big air core, but when a ferrite rod or two was placed inside the core, the output voltage and current were increased to even higher levels than when using the AC from the grid as the input source. His record setting lumen/watt levels are something to keep in mind.

Lynx Joule Lamp - Working Light Test - YouTube

[SkyWatcher]

Hi nick, thanks for the post reply, will have to see what is inside one of those dimmers.
Of course seen lynxsteam's work, was the inspiration for this variation air coil.
Though his versions use only one layer of higher voltage secondary and primary.
Really impressed by the performance of this air coil joule ringer 2 variation, had it running for around 6 hours last night with rock solid, good light output, with very little heat anywhere, even bulb had low heat, probably because of the higher frequency.
And all that from a smaller TIP42 pnp, wonder if a smaller signal transistor will work, maybe a couple in parallel, we will see.
Not trying ferrite in this setup, as it is strictly air coil, though a friend is donating a broken 25" TV soon and will have some ferrite and things to try other experiments.
peace love light
tyson

[Nick_Z]

Your current set up is very similar to mine. Only that you are using higher secondary turns to light the gutted Cfls. The ferrite cores are better for standard Cfls, and air core work best of gutted Cfls.
Yes, that is why the bulbs run cooler, when using the air cores, but the transistors can still heat up on 12v or higher voltages to actually light the Cfls to FULL brightness. If you connect a standard Cfl to that your circuit, you may burn the internal components.
I had the 25 watt standard Cfl running on what looks like 100% Ac brightness, but it lasted only 3 minutes and popped it's circuit. This was using about 19 volts.
So, I still have not been able to light the many Cfls that I have, like my 65 watt CFL bulbs, to anywhere close to their normal AC brightness levels, without frying their Ringer circuit transistors (TIP 3055T), or 2n3055, or the internal Cfl circuit, on the ungutted Cfls
I use the small 2n2222 for Exciters circuits, as they give better performance at lower voltages, but will also cook when using 12volt or higher input sources.
I'm still working on all of this... and am very interested in finding a solution for bright useful lighting. I'm not too concerned about the draw.

Joule Ringer- 4 inch ferrite bead core lighting a 13 watt Cfl bulb - YouTube
Nick

[SkyWatcher]

Hi nick, thanks for the post and information.
Your findings are pretty much what has been seen from the experiments here as well.
Rewound that 16 gauge speaker wire primary, with just the one strand, without the other one as a spacer and it did not work so well, though the reason has been found it seems.
Had a lamp extension cord laying around, didn't check the length, though it is 16 gauge also and has the thicker insulation.
So used that for the primary, 3 full layers, 54 bifilar turns with one strand not used, functioning as a wire spacer, though do not think that the spacing is really needed based on the recent finding.
Hooked up the circuit to 12 volts and the 13 watt gutted cfl lighted up right away, though it was whiter in color than it should be and not that bright, though very cool to the touch, which is a very usable light as well.
Though the odd thing is, decided to try and switch the primary connections around and also the secondary and it lit the cfl just like it did before, with the speaker wire, meaning, connect the secondary to cfl one way and it lights at 50-70% at 410 milliamps and hook it the other way and it lights to maybe 70-90% of full brightness at 1 amp input.
Soo ,at least we're having some consistency here, which is what was hoped with the testing of these air coils.
Also, the reasoning behind using multiple layers, at least for the primary, was to get a lower possible peak amp draw, which keeps the transistor cooler.
Here is a couple pics of latest coil setup.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us


Uploaded with ImageShack.us
peace love light
tyson

[Nick_Z]

Your Cfl looks nice and bright, good going...

Gadgetmall made a smaller version of the 3.0 using only 2 of the ferrite beads, and was able to light leds real well on just 1.5 volts., and other bulbs as well. So, even just two beads will work ok.
My goal is to really light those Cfls full brightness, regardless of the draw, but so far I have not been able to do it. It looks like it may take a huge Exciter to really light them up. Or just accept a lesser output, as what is being obtained.
Another option is to buy the 12 volt florescent inverter circuit, or 12v CFls, and use that instead. They only cost a few bucks, and can work directly off of solar panels, without HV
I'm working on the LS cross-over circuit now. If there is some magic in that circuit, it's not easy to find it. But, there are some unusual things about it, so I'm giving it a shot.

[SkyWatcher]

Hi nick, the picture is bloomed a bit, though it is bright for 410 milliamps, 12 volt input.
If the cfl bulb connections are swapped, then it draws 1 amp and almost full brightness.
This is why this drawn circuit is being shared, because of some oddity with this air coil ringer.
If you swap the primary connections around and the secondary, it somehow oscillates in a different mode and the cfl stays cool and is much whiter than normal, though in that cooler mode, it seems that probably much stray high frequency voltage radiation is being emitted and not absorbed into the cfl, as meters go haywire and touching connections can burn skin, though no pain really.
Here is circuit and description on changing coil connections to alter circuit operation.
Also plan to build another air coil ringer and try probably double the secondary turns and see what happens.


Uploaded with ImageShack.us
peace love light
tyson

[Nick_Z]

Here's a picture of my current cross over circuit. It uses a TIP 3055, and a 2n4017 transistor, and a 1n4148 diode between the secondary coil and the transistor's negative rail. 6 AA power pack, powering my ferrite rod transformer, and lighting 10 leds. There's a big ceramic magnet under the ferrite rod transformer.
Will keep this running all day to see what happens. So, far I see nothing special about this set up, as it's already draining my batteries.
Nick_Z

[SkyWatcher]

Hi nick, thanks for the information.
Taking a break on the air coil ringers for a moment.
Was able to get the gutted 13 watt cfl to probably 95% full brightness, though the heat in the transistor is not acceptable and after running the lower draw mode for awhile, it just was not stable enough for continuous use.
Wiring up a 4 ferrite bead now, to try with the ringer 2.0 and if it does not work as hoped, can always use the Meissner circuit with it.
peace love light
tyson

[Nick_Z]

Yes, that's what I'm finding also. That to obtain full brightness from the Cfls can only be done by frying the transistors at over 12v.
There are many 12volt Cfl bulbs out on the market that can be used directly on a 12v battery/solar panel set up. So we know that it is possible, as they are being sold. That is one solution, although at $7 to $10 per 12v Cfl, it is not a cheap solution, yet.
May as well use 12v led bulbs like the 7.5 watt utilitech by Feit at $10. Even then at 450 lumens, it's not a great deal, as you need at least two bulbs, to get the amount of light that a single 13 watt Cfl gives. So, no matter how you look at it, led bulbs are twice the price, per watt. But, the gutted re-cycled Cfl bulbs are free. So, for me, right now, FREE is where it's at... even though they output less than 100% their original brightness.
The thing is that each used Cfl will need it's own transistor/coil, as several Cfl bulbs can not be daisy chained up from the same circuit, without losing some output power. This can be done by reusing the same E-core transformer and transistor that comes in the original Cfl bulb's circuit. As some times its just the caps that pop inside the bulbs. Yes, No?

Nick_Z

[SkyWatcher]

Hi nick, thanks for the reply and information.
Have a couple of the gutted circuits from cfl's laying here.
They both have the small ferrite e-core, though one has surface mounted small transistors and the other the typical small signal transistor size.
If your idea, intent is to use 12 volt input, then thin gauge magnet wire would probably be needed.
Not sure how much heat would be created by that, if we wanted to drive the gutted cfl at a decent brightness.
Have you tried using those small ferrite e-cores yet.
If not, certainly sounds like something to experiment with.
Been watching what gadget is doing with the crossover ringer, have many pnp transistors, will probably try his modification sometime here.
peace love light
tyson

[Nick_Z]

I'm still working on the cross over circuit, now using a D size 1.5 volt battery in parallel with a 4700 microfarad cap, as the input source. If I can replicate the self running cross over, like Gadget is now doing, then I'll go back to upping the voltage to light bigger bulbs. I can't afford to blow any components right now, testing this new circuit. But, I did light a 7 watt incandescent bulb today on just 1.5 volts, on that circuit shown in the picture, that I sent two posts ago.

There is a video made showing how to light the 5 watt ungutted Cfls on 12 volts, running the 3.0 circuit, using the small e-core transformer that comes in them. Here is a link. It was made by Djoko. And is also shown a couple of pages back on this same Joule Ringer thread.

SJR 3.0 Mini E Core - YouTube

[SkyWatcher]

Hi nick, thanks for the link, did see that video, though forgot.
Noticed he also tested that circuit to power burnt filament cfl's off the mains and he says he is drawing 25 milliamps or 3 watts and the brightness looks very good.
CFL3 - YouTube
This gives an idea to try the simple inverter, providing 120 or so AC volts, then use that circuit connected to the secondary, as if it were hooked to the wall mains to light burnt cfl's, hmm.
peace love light
tyson

[Nick_Z]

Djoko is lighting the 5 watt Cfl very well using the tiny E-core and the 2n3055, on the 3.0 ringer circuit. Runs using 12v, and 660 mAs, and transistor is NOT hot. Not bad... very economical circuit.

Here is the first shot of my Cross Over circuit to test for self charging.
Too early to tell, but does not look to be self charging, yet.
I'll make more changes to it and further runs.

[SkyWatcher]

Hi nick, thanks for the information.
Built the circuit that is powered off 220vac wall mains with mostly scavenged cfl parts, though did not work, probably because it is 120vac here.
He does mention using a voltage quadrupler in the circuit for 120vac supplies, though would have to study and comprehend the circuit better.
Thinking of upping the voltage to 220vac out on the secondary of the simple inverter, just to see how this burn filament cfl circuit works.
If any good results are had, will post in the lighting burnt filament bulbs thread.
Otherwise, that small ferrite e-core setup is on the list of experiments to do.
peace love light
tyson