Rodin Coil Tests and Replications

[jibbguy]

never mind, posted a minute too late, or too soon

[rave154]

GEM,

yes, leave it coiled up.but then put it around the standard coil while everything is runnning and the cfl is lit ...and see if anything changes...then...the same for the other 2 tests, quick & simple.....and..you never know...

right..... im going to finish this circuit now

[stubbs]

Hi Geminitric,

Would the attached be worth a Rodini wrap?
They can be found w/specs @ Micrometals, Inc. - Power Cores

The third pic #xxx15 is part of a unfinished B. Boyce project

[rave154]

stubbs, thoise look like they would be ok to wind a rodin around

GEM...we have LIFT OFFF.........at only the 2nd attempt, i flipped the trigger coil the other way around and nearly crapped my pants as the coil/s started humming/ whinning...and the cap voiltage shot upp instantly...

just chaning the 3055 fror one with a heatsink as this one is already roasting !!!!

be back in a sec with more news

[rave154]

GEM

i am using 36VDC, and a 240V , 20 watt normal bulb as my load.

my trigger coil is actually my bifilar from my bedini motor, im using the 24SWG winding, not sure how many turns though.

the resistance of each of my rodin windings is 1.8 ohms so 3.6 total.

i get the bulb to light with 50VDC showing on the cap, drawing approx 1.4 amps from supply batterys ( due to my lower rodin resistance?)

the trigger coil is sat on top of a ferrite toroid ( no windings on it ) inside the middle of the rodin.


the brightness of the bulb is a string bright orange..... but not fully lit.

i tried a 15 watt cfl ( with internal circuitry still intact ).. it lit fully for about 1/2 second...then went out..havent been able to light it again...just tried the cfl in the lamp from wall power...works ok........so wil have another go with it

[rave154]

i have found something i didnt expect...

using various supply voltages , all of them DC..the following maximum settling voltage on the charge cap without a load on it..also current drawn is shown..

7.7V - 0.4A - 135V

12.4V - 0.85A - 130V

24.5V - 1.3A - 120V

34.5V - 1.4A - 119V

my charge cap bank is 4.7uF + 47uF +220uF all in parralell

i did manage to get the cfl to light up again, however its obvious MY circuit isnt putting out enough to sustain it..using 34V suply....i lert the cap get to 119V..connect the CFL it flickers once...and thats it...no more light..

interestingly... using the 7.7V supply..... let the cap get to 130V...connect the cfl...it lights,... goes out...then the cap voltage climbs....it lights breifly again.....voltage drops......voltage climbs again....lights again.....

WHY is the LOWER voltage supply producing BETTER results both in terms of the CFL performance AND the better standing ( unloaded ) voltage on the cap AND a lower current draw as well?????????

[rave154]

GEM,

i wound a trigger coil, best as ai could manage a replicar of yours, 70 up doiwn etc...


can get the cfl to light permanently,, almost fully....however..still drawing 1.4-1.5 amps..


sooo.......only difference we have..is your rodin is different to mine.......

mine is a "standard" rodin......yours is a sort of " 360" rodin....its making me wonder

[geminitric]

@Stubbs - yessss those look like they would work! As we've seen with everyone's various sizes, shapes and winding styles, the actual geometry seems very forgiving. And my guess is the material will make up for any difference in shape. Pick a winding style, and have fun! I suggest putting on a good movie while winding.

can get the cfl to light permanently,, almost fully....however..still drawing 1.4-1.5 amps..

I'm thrilled that you got it working so easily! Is this 1.4a on the 35v supply? Mine in its current arrangement (i've been fiddling) seems to be pulling .9a at 24v while lighting the cfl and holding 135v in the caps.

I think your experience with the "lighting, dimming, recharging, lighting, etc" was also due to the smaller cap bank. I recall John Bedini mentioning somewhere that the amount of energy captured is proportional to the 'size of the pool' aka the space available to fill. The caps I have here charge quickly (as did yours) and the energy that is provided to them is enough to maintain their charge while providing enough to light the cfl. I tried a smaller cap and it reacted like yours - flash and die (quick release of stored energy in caps and not enough to re-light the cfl) as well as light-dim-die-charge-dim-etc. (larger cap bank held enough and received enough to maintain the cfl longer, and received enough to charge at least past the cfl's lighting-voltage). At some point I'll do a calculation on the caps I use to see how much energy is required to get this bank up to 135v.

And yeah the heat sink is important, I've roasted three 3055's in the last few days, LoL. Now, I'm not a big fan of resistors but thats where someone would suggest using them - on the base, yes? I have used some - didn't have big wattage until recently and seem to pop&sizzle the few I tried. Especially on the A1 line, where the original bedini circuit and most replications have a 100ohm and a variable in series. Anything I try there gets fried. I have a 100ohm 5W wire-wound resistor (recent find) and on the base it does seem to help the transistor keep its temp down HOWEVER it lowers the charge effects. Definitely room there for someone to explore different attempts - maybe more exact tuning?

[rave154]

i agree gem....... tuning for sure..... but im still struck...by the essential differnce between our systems..... true...... my cap bank is smaller...BUT........its still enolugh to light it.......so...the only difference left..........is your coil.........i think im going to have to wind a 360 rodin

[rave154]

GEM.....p.s

in your circuit......you essentially..have only a diode capturing the flyback spike.......could you re-arrange.....and use a FWBR in its place......might as well cature the negativer as well as the positive.......see the difference

[rave154]

further info

GEM & others,

my trigger coil is a piece of cradboard tube approx 1 inch diameter, 1 and 1/2 inches tall, wound with about 240 turns of 26 swg wire, 60 up 60 down60 up 60 down.

it was sat on the desk with the rodin coil directly over it, so pretty much in the middle of the rodin, vertically speaking, perhaps a little more of the tube sticking out up above the rodin than below, so say.... 40% below, 60% above....

in this position,

across a 240V bulb (non cfl ) the circuit draws 1.9 Amps, with a voltage of 97 Volts stanbding on the cap, the bulb is a bright lightish orange, not fully lit, but getting there..

however,

if i raise the rodin with the circuit running, there is a point, or sweet-spot,
in this position, with approx 80% of the trigger tube below the rodin, it darws only 1.2 amps, with a standing voltage of 107 volts on the cap and the bulb obviously quite a little brighter, at least noticable to the eye.
as i raise the rodin..i can hear the "pitch" of the whine raise in tone as the amp draw lessons and the voltage & brightness raises up.

[rave154]

addendum to last post ( Wont let me edit )

replacing the bulb with a 14 watt cfl, i can get kind of half of the cfl to light almost fully, drawing 0.9amps with 92volts on the cap

[rave154]

here is a quick diagram to illustrate the position of the sweet spot, of course, depending on how your wired you may need to have the rodin above the trigger....or below it.


raising the rodin higher than shown in the diagram reduces the amp draw, but also reduces the voltage on the cap

[rave154]

scope shot using coil from a shaded pole mtor (300ohms) in porximity to rodin coil , about 1 & 1/2 inchs above rodin coil

[rave154]

scope shot directly across the trigger coil