So this is awesome -- mini-project
The lovely people at F11 Photography have given us a large box of disposable camera shells. It turns out the circuits inside of disposable camera shells are ideal for creating the high-voltage, low-current power required to build awesome Steampunk lights guaranteed to amaze your friends and enrage your enemies.
So while we're planning for our larger awesome projects, I'd like to do a mini-project on one of our upcoming Open Make Days. The generous, wonderful, and perennially excellent F11 supplies the circuits, I'll supply bulbs, switches, and (if I can get enough together) battery cases, and we'll use the time to get a basic circuit together. After that, it's up to you! We have a lot of creative people in the group, and I'm excited to see what everyone comes up with. Who's with me?
18 comments
hmm. now we just need some
hmm. now we just need some nixie tubes, a steam engine, and some goggles :)
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I'll bet you could drive a
I'll bet you could drive a nixie tube with that circuit. Hmm.
Super Sweet!
I'm into making something with these. Thanks Jon for gathering more things.
project idea.
I think this might be a good one for halloween. I think these would make great jack-o-lantern eyes...
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http://www.instructables.com
http://www.instructables.com/id/Disposibal-Camera-Nixie-Tube-Driver/
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http://www.instructables.com
http://www.instructables.com/id/Disposibal-Camera-Nixie-Tube-Driver/
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Hey, cool! You can! You can
Hey, cool! You can! You can also make small CFL bulbs into creepy David Lynch lamps with the circuit.
Yeah, this would be awesome for Halloween...
It smells like burning ;)
So I believe I may have pushed more current than I should have through the circuit... It smells like burning.
+1
+1
So... why no plasma?
So it appears that I have modified the circuit and found multiple outputs that are reading around 450-480 volts. Which output should I use? The bulb only on rare instances lights up for a second or two and then no more. Any thoughts as to why this might be happening?
I'm guessing the voltage isn
I'm guessing the voltage isn't high enough? That's kind of disappointing. Are you using a Kodak or a Fujifilm? Also, how many volts are you putting into the thing?
Using the Fujifilm camera
Using the Fujifilm. Maybe I'm not attaching the bulb to the proper connections. I'll give it another review tonight. I'm using two AA's.
I'll check the traces tonight as well. Still is was sweet to see the bulb light up without me setting my garage on fire and shocking myself.
Finally getting some light,
Finally getting some light, but not nearly as cool as yours Jon. I have to beat the bulb on my workbench until it starts to flicker ;)
Do you have a wire going from
Do you have a wire going from ground on the circuit to the outside of the bulb?
Yes, I believe I do. Is this
Yes, I believe I do. Is this not correct?
Yeah, it's correct. That's
Yeah, it's correct. That's really weird. Are the batteries old? I've noticed performance drops off pretty dramatically once the batteries start to wear down.
For what it's worth, my meter
For what it's worth, my meter pegs out when I measure the output of my circuit. What do things look like across the traces that feed into the capacitor?
Seriously, though. We have a
Seriously, though. We have a ho-jillion more cameras to work with. Anyone else want one? I'll bring a bag on Saturday.