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In this Instructable you will learn how to make a High Voltage High Frequency power supply in 5 minutes and for less than $20.
All you need is a compact fluorescent light (CFL) and a flyback transformer.
Flyback transformers are found in TVs and CRT monitors. They make the high voltage, high frequency current necessary to trace the electron beam across the screen. They are small and compact, and you can take them out from an old computer monitor or TV.
CFLs are very popular high efficiency fluorescent lights. They are similar to their ancestor the fluorescent light tubes but use electronic ballasts instead of the big and heavy ballasts in the old technology.
The electronic ballast works by generating high frequency currents that are fed to a tiny high frequency transformer that boost the voltage and run the fluorescent tube. It is the high frequency that makes the assembly compact.
The electronic ballast generates less than 1000 volts. But by replacing the fluorescent bulb of the CFL with a flyback transformer, spectacular voltages can be achieved.
All you need is a compact fluorescent light (CFL) and a flyback transformer.
Flyback transformers are found in TVs and CRT monitors. They make the high voltage, high frequency current necessary to trace the electron beam across the screen. They are small and compact, and you can take them out from an old computer monitor or TV.
CFLs are very popular high efficiency fluorescent lights. They are similar to their ancestor the fluorescent light tubes but use electronic ballasts instead of the big and heavy ballasts in the old technology.
The electronic ballast works by generating high frequency currents that are fed to a tiny high frequency transformer that boost the voltage and run the fluorescent tube. It is the high frequency that makes the assembly compact.
The electronic ballast generates less than 1000 volts. But by replacing the fluorescent bulb of the CFL with a flyback transformer, spectacular voltages can be achieved.
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Signing UpStep 1Some Info on CFLs
CFLs can come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Generally the bigger the wattage the larger the voltage output. For this Instructable I got a 65 Watts light bulb.
Most CFLs have a similar circuit topology. All of them have 4 wires coming out of them. The wires are in pairs, and each pair connects to a filament inside the light bulb.
The CFLs I came across have the high voltage on the outer wires. You only need to connect the outer wires to the primary coil of the flyback transformer.
You will find a comprehensive description of CFL circuits on this page
Most CFLs have a similar circuit topology. All of them have 4 wires coming out of them. The wires are in pairs, and each pair connects to a filament inside the light bulb.
The CFLs I came across have the high voltage on the outer wires. You only need to connect the outer wires to the primary coil of the flyback transformer.
You will find a comprehensive description of CFL circuits on this page
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I had built a layden jar with foil tape the same night which didn't work as I thought so I attached the flyback to it and the results improved by double. It still won't be enough to power a jacobs ladder but I think I'm on the right track. I hope this helps. BTW look at the circuit board that the flyback was attached to for hints as to what pin is what. I at the very least found a pin labled B+ and a few labeled "G" which helped me choose the primary ground pins....
Red Wire
_________
/.................... |
| 0 0 0 9 .......|
| 0 [|||||||||||||||||||]
| 0 [|||||||||||||||||||]
| 0 0 1... + + |
\_________|
/ |
| 0 0 0 9 |
| 0 [|||||||||||||||||||]
| 0 [|||||||||||||||||||]
| 0 1 + + |
\__________|
this transformer :
Primary the "+"
Secondary min voltage "1" , max voltage "9"
the second wire the secondary coil is the big red wire that connect to on the screen.
i hope helped you,
can you help me now? please
i bought warm white CFL and this electronic plate output is 70volt, this is ok?
i connected this to the pins and "nothing" happend i connected right the pins are right, after it i smashed my transformer with hammer and saw i connected pins right! i dont know why it dont work, pliz help
on my big Mitsubishi FBT with only 10 pins:
the ICN-32P-SC would only start at 2mm electrode distance and would die after 2 sec when I pull to 8mm.
the ICN-32P-N would start at 8mm and die right away if I pull more.
23W CFL starts at 3/4 inch and dies if I pull more.
I noticed thet if I leave CFL ruining at max distance the erratic sparks eventually diminish to a few zaps per second and it would eventually die? it would work again like new after I restart it,,any ideas why it does this?
Did you see the pics I took? those are the EB's I am talking about but they dont work good on FBT that has only 10 pins for sum reason they work better on 11 pins.
You didint comment on them? have you seen these type before? .
Are you gonna tell me if you have yahoo mail or msn??? I was hoping we could do instant chat.
Ok when you say the low freq fluorescent ballast are you referring to the small ones that come compact with the CFL like the ones in your video? and what do you mean by low freq exactly what ball park we talking here? because from what I understand most FBT need at least 15KHz to work so I am assuming thats what the ones you used put out, the ones I am talking about are basically the same design but they come inside there own metal casing and are called electronic ballast transformers you can buy them at any hardware store now, they are used for the big fluorescent lamps that are anywhere from 4 feet and longer you know the same ones used in most office or work places which used to use old transformer technology to light them up, it was I think basically just a step up transformer with a start button or switch and they used to make buzzing sounds on start up and flicker before they light up, I think these ones used tens of kilovolts to work depending on size and lenght of lamp, like the one in my kitchen above the sink is 1 foot i think and in the holder of this lamp there is a transformer and strart button thats it maybe its only a few KV,but these new electronic ballasts are instant start using high freq probably 15KHz and up with low voltages of about 580 to 750 depending on the types. Did you check out JIMMYPROTONS inst? He uses the same thing to run his FBT, its too bad if you haven't had the chance to watch his video because it is no longer available but the inst and pics are still there. OK please also answer my question about what arc is best used for Jacob ladder. I will have more questions for you as I go, I am also having problems with these ballasts we are talking about, I bought 4 different types to try them out I returned most of em and found one that works great it is same type as the one jimmyproton used but I blew it out ill explain later but I got a bad jolt and it died on me, I went back to get same one today but the damn thing is not working like last time it produced barely 1/2" arc and kept dying??? makes no sence but thats electricity for you. OK please reply back to everything in this letter thx talk to you soon.
NOTE: JimmyProton said he tried several FBT with 10 pins on bottom that did not work, but he said the types with 11 pins on bottom did, who knows why or what the common factor was?.
The first time I got ballasts I had two of them , ICN-2P60-N and ICN-4P32-N and a FBT with 11 pins ,the 60-N one made .5'' arc and would not make longer when I pulled on arc it would die fast it was very precise perhaps some kind of sensor in the circuit , the 32-N one made amazing long arcs maybe up to 4 inches,but as I pulled longer on the arc it blew and I got baldy jolted and it was not working after that so I returned both EB to the store and got another 32-N but for sum reason that one didint work or was making small arcs?, so I returned the 32-N back to the store and found the same type that Jimmy had ICN-32P-SC but this one also did not work? I was frustrated this time I decided for fun to hook my FBT directly into the mains and it blew up I guess cause it drew excessive amperage. I decided to keep the ballast and went looking for new FBT , I found one but it only has 10 pins I went to the store and got another 32-N so now I had two EB the 32-SC and the 32-N well the SC one didint work on the FBT ,it wasint making any noises so I hook it to small fluor bulb and it worked right away but no humming noises, I then tried N type on bulb and it worked right away and made huming noises for 2 sec but bulb was working good so I hook it to FBT with 10 pins and it made starting arc of about 1/2 inch and no longer as the arc would die right away, I then bring electrodeback to 1/2 inch and nothing would happen? so I come closer up to 2mm and arc would start again? hmmm weird must be a sensitive safety thing in circuit maybe like yours but I wouldnt know how to fix it with this design anyways I also tried my FBT on a 23W CFL cicuit I had just like the ones in your demo and on starts I get arcs of 15-17mm I pull arc to max of 1.25 inch before it dies not bad .
I have not given up on both EB I think they will work good with spectacular results if I find right FBT with maybe 11 pins. but why did the 32-N not work second time with 11 pin FBT??? maybe cause when I jolted myself it damage it too?
So either same types of several EB's have diff results on same FBT or perhaps I was using diff FBT and got diff results, I just dont reacall.
But it did work first time and big arcs were produced so instead of breaking apart CFL's (very messy) and having unsafe setup why not just get EB and get bigger results simply hooking it up? you should try it with ICN -4P32-N or SC just make sure FBT has 11 pins ( not sure if is 10 pins on U pattern with 1 pin outside or 11 pins on U pattern) but my old FBT had 10 pins on U and 1 outside.
I never said that old ones (electric ballasts) were called electronic ballasts?, thx for the flywheel explanation, it will roll up hill provided there is enough voltage to push it I guess.
You also said that old fluor ballasts are not transformers? well they are I think inductors arent those still considered a type of trans? because I have a 13W fluor bulb in my room that runs of a "ROBERTSON TRANSFORMER" thats what its called and it only has one wire in one wire out all it does is allow small amounts of current ie milliAmps to pass thru and I believe 120V as well at 60Hz .
I think these or any other types of trans even neon will not work because they need to either have much higher voltages or higher freq in order to run a FBT correct?.
But the one I am thinking of using are electronic ballast trans like the ones that output about 580-750 volts and at least 15KHz and I believe really low amps. These are basically just a larger scale design than the same ones found in your CFL bulbs and can be found sold in most decent hardware stores, the one's I got now are a Philips Advance Centium ICN-4P32-SC and another ICN-4P32-N they are both the same or so I tought, they both run 4 lamps of 4 feet long and perhaps longer, but they also are used to run FBT with good results, for sum reason maybe cause of more sophisticated design my SC type didint work, it worked on my small fluro bulb but not the FBT, but the N type worked and made about 2 inch arcs. Maybe the SC one needed to sence the filament as well just like the problem you were having only I wouldnt know how to fix it with this design?.
I will take pic of the electronic ballasts I have and post them for you next time, why dont you get back to me on this and find a way for us to chat online somewhere like yahoo instant chat , I got a cam on my pc so I can show you everything there.