Lighting fluorescent bulb using 9V battery (Part II)

[To read Part I of this article, click]

As you have seen from Part I, I have used flyback transformer in the circuit to light up a fluorescent bulb using 9V battery.

Actually, I want to keep the whole circuit as simple and constructable as possible, where I want to remove some components that are rare, difficult to find such as flyback transformer and ferrite rods. As CRT tv and pc are obsolete nowadays, flyback transformer gets even rare and more expensive.

Therefore I set a rule when designing a new lighting strategy; no flyback transformer, and no ferrite rods !

I planned on using just the tissue roll former and copper wire and make them into a simple transformer.

Here how it looks like:

The red wire is primary while the yellow wire is secondary. Notice there is a centre-tapped wire (red)

at the middle

I wound the secondary first on the former, about 8 layers of winding and then two layers of primary on top of it, with centre tap wire. The copper wire I have used is SWG 27 (0.4mm thickness). The tissue former dimension is 3cm diameter and 5 cm length. The design is not too strict and you may decide by your own on how many number of layers/turns you want to make for secondary/primary. Its damn try-and-error thingy. When I made it I just do it as I like and no engineering calculation was done. 

The resulting secondary voltage from this transformer is not enough to light up the fluorescent bulb, though. It can only light up an LED. Therefore, I stepped up the voltage using a rechargeable battery charger transformer I have used before. Well, I am still havent break the rule cuz I am not using flyback transformer.

The rechargeable battery charger transformer, utilised as step up transformer to elevate the output voltage from the coil's secondary

The resultant voltage from the battery charger transformer can eventually light up the bulb.

Overall circuit, with the light bulb being light up involving both coil and transformer. The driving circuit is the same as used in Part I of this article, a Joule thief.

Close up.

By using this strategy, you can use items that is easily available such as copper wires and charger transformers and dont have to find old CRT tvs to salvage the flyback transformers from them, or spending dollars to buy ferrite rods. You also dont have to buy a new disposable camera just to get its flash transformer for this project.

You may also use other transformers other than battery charger transformer, such as those in electronic lamp ballast, and cellphone charger.

Thanks for reading.