The component that looks like a resistor in the ZXSC380 circuit is actually an inductor. All "Joule Thief" use an inductor in a minimal boost converter configuration. The IC is actually the smarts for a boost converter that is self switching so the extra coil on the inductor (toroid or otherwise) is not needed. The extra winding in a typical "Joule Thief" is used for positive feedback to the transistor base to maintain switching and does this by saturating the inductor in a repeating cycle. Since all Joule Thiefs are simply boost converters the "not a Joule Thief" claim is wrong.
Larskro No matter how low it was, it should be the only thing powering the circuit if you are saying its running on ultra low input, but there is a 4700 microFarad capacitor added.
I have some of those com ports in the tin! Never opened one up. What was I thinking. I actually paid $2 for a bag of those toroids. :) Great little JT. Blue hot glue finish is very cool. Great instructions too.
good job there. almost all the JT circuits I have seen to date have been monster size. I have built these with even smaller inductors than this one. but u got the right ones there. thanks for sharing.
I cracked open potted lan transformers from old routers to get those cores! It wasn't easy but I saved more than I broke as thankfully they are surrounded by silicone before potting. I wish I'd thought of your idea first!
31 years are gone since I graduated in electronic engineering , if my memory is not bad , this is a kind of Armstrong oscillator , despite the absence of capacitor.
its a high frequency oscillator that acts as a boost converter, but this is a kiddy playing with electronics type design, actual joule thief design is much more complicated, operates on a wider voltage and current range and is more complicated than this, also has a second transistor, otherwise the resistance needs to be constantly controlled depending on voltages, and then removed altogether when voltage goes below 1V, the minimum voltage this could drain a battery to is 0.4V
For a sec I thought this was another free energy thing of garbage. But it has the look of a Hartley oscillator which would account for fast voltage spikes. I'd like to see it on a scope. No free energy here. In fact, it's lossy... except that if it uses battery power that would otherwise go unused. If it works its efficacy needs more study.
Ever thought of using the coil from earphone for better efficiency it has a lot. More turns then those little huggers. Idk if the idea will work maybe hook 2 of them like a transfor and put a fraught cor between them
please, tell me where to find those "small round things" i will call it donuts, because i dont know the name of it, also have a detail blue print -diagram, because i like to do it but it looks like need to be soldering pretty carefully. thanks.
I did that with transistor and surfice mount led from digital watch and used very thin wire and core is pyece of ferite rod that is about 0.6 mm thich and i cuted it at 1.5mm and it works greath that transistor gets soo hot that i burned my finger on it.
The light will not work at all without the circuit. The battery only puts out 1.5 volts when new, but the blue LED needs at least 3 volts to work. The circuit boosts the voltage high enough to light the LED, albeit quite inefficiently.
Juan Bartet It's hard to say. To run a blue or white LED by itself you'd need three cells in series, which compared to the single celled joule thief, is three times the energy storage - not a fair comparison.
Juan Bartet Well, joule thiefs are so efficient that they will work with 'dead' 1.5V batteries that won't run other devices any longer. In that case, any energy you get out is all extra (a bonus).
Does anyone have a source for rings that tiny other than in Ethernet ports? The closest thing I can find are rings for magnetic core memory, but those are way too expensive for my taste.
@@chrismason1530 well I live in Australia and I've worked on a lot of building sites I've built Kitchens houses boats all kinds of different things and I've never seen anybody use inches ever. only on UA-cam
Tyler McClain This will work with a single 1.5V battery that is 'dead' too with say 0.7V, (only half of the original voltage), that would normally require 3 to 4.5V
The main point is harvesting the normally un-usable storage in old batteries. It's fun to experiment with and try to light an led from extremely low power sources.
Rainbow Dash The toroid with the windings and the transistor are doing all of the 'work'. The resistor is just to limit how much current the LED pulls. (make sure you don't burn out your LED)
The component that looks like a resistor in the ZXSC380 circuit is actually an inductor. All "Joule Thief" use an inductor in a minimal boost converter configuration.
The IC is actually the smarts for a boost converter that is self switching so the extra coil on the inductor (toroid or otherwise) is not needed. The extra winding in a typical "Joule Thief" is used for positive feedback to the transistor base to maintain switching and does this by saturating the inductor in a repeating cycle.
Since all Joule Thiefs are simply boost converters the "not a Joule Thief" claim is wrong.
The plural of thief is thieves so it is joule thieves.
I would have just used a surface mount LED, to shrink it down even further.
A joule thief allows more light on the LED, when placed between Base and Collector.Try this, or see Joule Thief - very very very low input 0,035 volt
Larskro No matter how low it was, it should be the only thing powering the circuit if you are saying its running on ultra low input, but there is a 4700 microFarad capacitor added.
I have some of those com ports in the tin! Never opened one up. What was I thinking. I actually paid $2 for a bag of those toroids. :) Great little JT. Blue hot glue finish is very cool. Great instructions too.
love it, brilliant!
good job there. almost all the JT circuits I have seen to date have been monster size. I have built these with even smaller inductors than this one. but u got the right ones there. thanks for sharing.
Awesome work, if only I could hear it.
I cracked open potted lan transformers from old routers to get those cores! It wasn't easy but I saved more than I broke as thankfully they are surrounded by silicone before potting. I wish I'd thought of your idea first!
Nice work. thank you
31 years are gone since I graduated in electronic engineering , if my memory is not bad , this is a kind of Armstrong oscillator , despite the absence of capacitor.
its a high frequency oscillator that acts as a boost converter, but this is a kiddy playing with electronics type design, actual joule thief design is much more complicated, operates on a wider voltage and current range and is more complicated than this, also has a second transistor, otherwise the resistance needs to be constantly controlled depending on voltages, and then removed altogether when voltage goes below 1V, the minimum voltage this could drain a battery to is 0.4V
How small can you go? Absolutely brilliant video. many thanks for sharing.
Fine Handwork. thx for sharing.
mini led light joule thief nice..
For a sec I thought this was another free energy thing of garbage. But it has the look of a Hartley oscillator which would account for fast voltage spikes. I'd like to see it on a scope. No free energy here. In fact, it's lossy... except that if it uses battery power that would otherwise go unused. If it works its efficacy needs more study.
Yep I like it too...
Brilliant work
Wow, good job, looks amazing!
Thank you.
you are very lucky to get one so
perfect!
Ever thought of using the coil from earphone for better efficiency it has a lot. More turns then those little huggers. Idk if the idea will work maybe hook 2 of them like a transfor and put a fraught cor between them
It would be awesome if you put the parts list in the description of the video.
Battery Used: LR44 1.5 volt button cell
lovely
So you could replace the resister with a potentiality and increase the brightness right?
please, tell me where to find those "small round things" i will call it donuts, because i dont know the name of it, also have a detail blue print -diagram, because i like to do it but it looks like need to be soldering pretty carefully.
thanks.
how many leds can you hook up to the one joule thief set-up if thats possible? of that joule thief set up can only bu used for one led per set up?
for those looking at the not-a-joule-thief web address in video, www.muzique.com/news/not-a-joule-thief/
I did that with transistor and surfice mount led from digital watch and used very thin wire and core is pyece of ferite rod that is about 0.6 mm thich and i cuted it at 1.5mm and it works greath that transistor gets soo hot that i burned my finger on it.
So How much longer will the light work for compared to not having the circuit?
The light will not work at all without the circuit. The battery only puts out 1.5 volts when new, but the blue LED needs at least 3 volts to work. The circuit boosts the voltage high enough to light the LED, albeit quite inefficiently.
Eric Wasatonic
I see, does that mean the battery will run out faster?
Juan Bartet It's hard to say. To run a blue or white LED by itself you'd need three cells in series, which compared to the single celled joule thief, is three times the energy storage - not a fair comparison.
Juan Bartet Well, joule thiefs are so efficient that they will work with 'dead' 1.5V batteries that won't run other devices any longer. In that case, any energy you get out is all extra (a bonus).
Does anyone have a source for rings that tiny other than in Ethernet ports?
The closest thing I can find are rings for magnetic core memory, but those are way too expensive for my taste.
try eBay and look for the smallest cores. they are cheap and u don't have to break any good equipment
Such a tiny core needs a very high frequency to even sustain feedback loop oscillation.. this is straight forward fake
hmm, they don't make 1v leds?
+Shmannel no. virtually all LEDs are the same voltage, about 2V normally, 3V for blue.
nice video . except i don't think anyone in the world uses inches anymore
Really now
@@chrismason1530 well I live in Australia and I've worked on a lot of building sites I've built Kitchens houses boats all kinds of different things and I've never seen anybody use inches ever. only on UA-cam
what is the point of this?
thats what i said, i can get any LED and attach a watch battery and it will work for really long so whats the point?
Frank Lopez You can get it to work with a 3V watch battery, yes but this circuit allows for undervolate of 1.5 V battery to power a 3V LED.
Frank Lopez Sometimes you will see a stack of 2 or 3 of the 1.5V batteries to drive one LED.
Tyler McClain This will work with a single 1.5V battery that is 'dead' too with say 0.7V, (only half of the original voltage), that would normally require 3 to 4.5V
The main point is harvesting the normally un-usable storage in old batteries. It's fun to experiment with and try to light an led from extremely low power sources.
What is the battery voltage.... 1.5Volts?
yes
Nope. 3v
Yes, the battery supplies 1.5 volts. The toroid boosts that with the help of a transistor and resistor.
Rainbow Dash The toroid with the windings and the transistor are doing all of the 'work'. The resistor is just to limit how much current the LED pulls. (make sure you don't burn out your LED)
very bad daigram
Very bad spelling of the word diagram!