Build A DIY Light Bulb Current Limiter Dim Bulb Tester 2023 Learn How It Works And How To Use It

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I've been asked many times about the current limiter that I use on a lot of my videos, so here is the video, learn how the light bulb current limiter works and how to build them from the most simple method to something a bit more sophisticated.
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Опубликовано:

12 янв 2023

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Комментарии : 170

@Hank254 Год назад

Been waiting for this one :) I used to do something similar with a 1000W heater which went to two carbon rods in a homemade arc furnace. If you connect the rods straight to the mains, it will trip the breaker when you strike an arc. The heater would limit the current but still pull a good amount through the arc! Thanks for the video, best electronics repair channel on YT!

@InssiAjaton Год назад

Just one warning. The neon bulb would absolutely need a series resistor. Otherwise it is a one blow device. Luckily most that you can buy already have one. So it really applies only to the schematic.

@cskeet1320 Год назад

Great Video Richard, When I made a dim bulb tester, I had to watch several videos on RU-vid and and I still wasn't sure exactly how it worked or which wattage bulbs to use. This tutorial has everything a beginner needs to know and clear instructions on how to build it safely. Such an essential piece of equiptment as one RU-vidr put it, " if you don't like shitting your pants". I'm sure this will be very helpful to lots of people starting their journey with electronics.

@LearnElectronicsRepair Год назад

Thank you, it's good to see you liked it 🙂

@deedeelabricolade Год назад

That is exactly what I'm looking for, thank you so much!!

@kenjunge2768 Год назад

Thanks! Been waiting for this!

@shiftctrlhack Год назад

Thank you !!!!! This is a great video !!! I was waiting to see how you make yours compared to the others. You always explain everything very well for the beginners out here. A+++

@ajw6715 Год назад

Best electronics repair channel in the world. Thanks you for teaching.

@jeffkosowsky67 Год назад

I modded a $30 off-the-shelf 4-bulb light bulb tester from Aliexpress to create a 4-Bulb Current Limiter Tester with 4-independently switched light bulbs, lighted power switch, fuse, Voltage/Current/Power meter, test button, and dual wiring-block plus load socket. All I had to do was to correct/replace some shoddy internal China-quality wiring, change the load-block from being in parallel with the bulb to series, add an external standard AC socket and an (optional) test push button. Assuming you can salvage the socket from an old extension cord, the total cost is not much more than the $30 Aliexpress device and it can be done in under an hour. The beauty of this modding approach is that it all fits in a nice package -- plus 4 bulbs allows you to create an "exponential" series of lamps. I used 25W/40W/60W/100W on 110v. See hackaday.io/project/191175-deluxe-ac-current-limiter for detailed instructions on the hack. Love your channel btw!

@geoffedwards189 Год назад

Thanks Richard. Another piece of kit to add to the collection.

@alanbenson1505 Год назад

Fantastic video, Richard.

@wherami Год назад

Hey neat! Thanks for doing it!

@johnpipe362 Год назад

Thank you. Useful.

@sipansibabdreddknot5179 Год назад

thanks i was researching it on youtube couple of times and im new in your channel and i trust and learned so much in your tutorials and thats why ive try to ask how thanks so much!

@sharrockfamily Год назад

Made myself one Rich. Very handy. Thanks

@englishrupe01 Год назад

An excellent tutorial on this great tool, thanks, Richard. Puts my basic plank and bulb to shame ;-)

@anthonydenn4345 Год назад

Great tutorial Richard, thanks. It just goes to show you people don't need to spend a lot to have a nice piece of test equipment.

@tonysheerness2427 Год назад

Thanks for the explanation and how to make and use a bulb current limiter. Very useful. Stick on various size of bulb holders and you also have a lamp tester.

@JonathanHawken-bf9dw Год назад

Brilliant I'm going to make one. Great video. The format you use is excellent. You show the parts and you draw the circuit. I don't always remember everything but at the time it makes perfect sense. Thanks

@LearnElectronicsRepair Год назад

Cheers, it's good to see you liked it🙂

@Radek__ Год назад

thank you

@9h1gb Год назад

I use this system for many years now. It is part of my workshop gadgets I use during a repair or whilst servicing equipment which has not been used in years. . The only difference is that I connect the unit across the fuse holder with the fuse removed of course. And I use switchs to put the bulbs in or out instead without removing them. But basically same idea. This system saved me loads money in fuse replacement expenses over the years. Well done nice video and enjoyed watching it till the end and keep up the good works.

@australianbloke3934 7 месяцев назад

It's my understanding that halogen lamps are not recommended for dim bulb testers. Although both halogen lamps and filament lamps are both incandescent lamps, they have different characteristics. The resistance of filament lamps and halogen lamps both go up as they heat up, but halogen lamps do so at a slower rate. Therefore, a halogen lamp may not provide enough resistance quickly enough to protect the device under test. I had to hunt around to find filament lamps, because they are no longer generally available in Australia. Eventually I found some in a mate's shed. What do you think?

@robertn916 4 месяца назад

Thanks Richard, your version is very good because it has the double throw switch, some have just one so this is a safer design. you also clearly describe how the mains earth fits in. As always you provide safety warnings in a very concise way. One thing that was hard to see is the type of wire as I you don't want to use too thin. Really appreciate your work.

@SDsailor7 4 месяца назад

I saw another video were the presenter said that if you don't cut metal tab in between the two screw holes where the wires are attached on the sides of the outlet that it will create a short because the outlet is constructed in parallel and needs to be in series? is that correct? I don't want to damage either the light bulb or my stereo. Thank you

@viniciusvbf22 Год назад

Very nice build! I've built my own a few weeks ago. Yours is better, but mine's have labels on each button (they don't have lights, though) 😁

@Hellhound604 6 месяцев назад

That, an isolation transformer, coupled with a Variac, should be the first things on the list of indispensable tools for people wanting to fix stuff, followed by the usual socilloscopes, etc.

@elye3701 Год назад

Thanks. Being myself, I would add test points/sockets across the load and I would coil the neutral wire 5 times and have a cutout to allow a clamp ammeter to reach that coil. Oh, and a fuse blown indicator. I then to over-engineer.

@franciscorompana2985 Год назад

Nice to know. Best😊 🇵🇹

@iammememine Год назад

Love this video Richard. Helps me understand why current limiter is essential for troubleshooting a device. Anyway, i was wondering, could you please make a video on isolation transformer when using a oscilloscope? I found so much on these subject. But couldn’t understand it. Should i use one when troubleshooting an amplifier using oscilloscope or the otherwise? Thanks again. Cheers

@robtitheridge9708 Год назад

We started useing a lamp limiter in the eary 70s in series with the HT line of solid state tv sets before that we had a large neon bulb with one side connected to mains earth and the other end to a test lead to check for a hot chassis Now because i dont like loud bangs i use one for the same reason as you .

@andrewhodson8346 Год назад

Great video. Mine is somewhat similar to yours but with crocodile clips as the output and a separate earth terminal if earthing is required. Started as a simple inline light bulb but developed as more functionality was required!

@KB1UIF Год назад

Sounds like it's lethal with croc clips. Be careful.

@csimet Год назад

Nice idea... I'm going to build one of these very soon. I live in the states, so I'll need a pair of 30W bulbs since our system is 120V. That will give me a limiter capable of 0.25A and 0.5A (or more if I use higher wattage bulbs)... very handy ranges for my use.

@alexgrandino8777 Год назад

hi. i am actually building a 14 volts one with 2 bridge rectifiers in parallel using a single car's head light bulb or 2 so i can dispose of more than 8 different power levels.

@Gary-ts6dh Год назад

15:56 - You could trim the edges where they meet of both sockets at the angle you have them, which would allow both lamps to mount on the cover without going over the edge. -JAT

@justmc62 Год назад

Very nice tutorial Rich.. might make an "over engineered " one in the not to distant future 😎. Would love some more info on your variac and isolated power sytem. Looking to make a complete set up for safely using an osciliscope and bench top troubleshooting. Love your channel and that you are uploading info almost daily.

@alexluz7023 Год назад

i built a r7s halogen lamp 230v 100w in series with a 400w dimmer so i can lower the wattage... (one wire makes a loop outside the box so i can clamp a ampmeter probe if need be) And in parallel of this i have a 6amp breaker to bypass the lamp and still get protection And on power up a yellow led always on in both modes with a 33k resistor and diodes on both legs Its my setup small profile due to the type of bulb outside the box with heatshield and glare reduction thx for explaining also yours

@paulp2033 Год назад

Finally a video which makes it easy for me to understand how to build this. Can’t thank you enough. Would you be able to advise on the size of bulbs required to work on valve amplifiers with around 450v on plates ? Also another request for an explanation of the isolation transformer and why you need it. Many thanks again

@andygozzo72 Год назад

depends what the normal running wattage or current of the amp is ...start low, about 25w then increase , such as 40, 60, 100, 150, etc .

@BrianSmith-ow9gy Год назад

Would a 3 position rotary switch or slider be safer? Position 1 would be All Off. Position 2 would be On Limited and Position 3 would be On Unlimited? In that way to get to the potentially dangerous On Unlimited position the operator would need to move through All Off and On Limited positions first? Possibly more visually obvious than relying on neons (although these could be fitted as well if required)?

@englishrupe01 Год назад

On the subject of variac's, for anybody interested.....Ebay/Vevor has a great new version that actually doubles the input/output voltage from 120v input to 0-250v possible output. Works fantastic, if you want one. I picked one up on special offer for 55 bucks.

@craigberry2472 Год назад

thank you for this tutorial, just a quick question, what amps is the separate fuse

@jamesmdeluca 4 месяца назад

The neon lamp requires a current limiter of its own or the current thru the lamp will be unlimited. Some lamps have a built in resister, if not add one.

@theforthdoctor7872 Год назад

It's important that people realise that this only works with an incandescent light bulb.

@patvickers8189 Год назад

Well... Maybe call it a pico Limiter 😭

@patvickers8189 Год назад

At a local industrial site, an engineering print called for a 3 phase 60 amp breaker on a 250 foot 14 guage cable. I told the head electrician we had a name for that. A fuse link!

@LearnElectronicsRepair Год назад

Yeah, that's why I specifically said in the video this only works with incadescent or halogen bulbs - you can't use an LED bulb.

@messageobliquespe100 Год назад

Halogen bulb as used in downlighters 🤔 assuming 50W variety will do having swapped fir led types. I’ll take some resistance measurements

@hernancoronel Год назад

I envision a future where incandescent light bulbs might not be available anymore, in that case we could use a resistance from a small oven or similar and work out the desired current limit with other resistors in parallel.

@Lightrunner. Год назад

Hi, good and nice tool for secure the circuits👍👍. I've got a gift from my neighbor, a variable transformer after that is a isolation transformer installed. A volt and ampermeter too.

@LearnElectronicsRepair Год назад

Are you sure the variable transformer is also an isolation transformer? Most variable transformers (variacs) are a type of auto-transformer and have no isolation. I have to use a separate isolation transformer with mine.

@Lightrunner. Год назад

@@LearnElectronicsRepair Hi🤗, The variable transformer isn't isolated. Because, after that are two 1:1 220V 4 amps (2x1=1🤣) isolated transformer parallel connected. The isolation transformers are from two very old Grundig television ripped🥰. Back in time, the old televisions consumed a lot of power😵‍💫. Ahhhhh 🥰😍 the good old time with tube television's. Eg Grundig typ CUC😍. The good old qualifikation time .

@KB1UIF Год назад

Good video, Rich. I would also add a none switched ground / earth wire through the box.

@LearnElectronicsRepair Год назад

I connected an earth wire from the input mains socket to the output socket and showed that n the video. Did you mean something different?

@KB1UIF Год назад

@Learn Electronics Repair Sorry Rich, I must have missed that part. I sometimes nod off while watching RU-vid.

@user-se2pb5yx5p 2 месяца назад

Ok. I'll use a 60w for my atx troubleshooting to limit current

@davidhollfelder9940 Год назад

For incandescent bulbs, you can search for “incandescent traffic signal bulb”. These work very well.

@EJEuth Год назад

I also did a Series lamp with switch using a 4x2” Surface Mount Backbox with a 3 position faceplate: 2x switches (main and bypass) + 1x plug (USA & Brazil 🇧🇷 STDs). As I live in Brazil, such pattern exist in our household standards. I just guess a larger 4x4” could also be applicable for UK standards. 3 points to mention: #1 Your main switch being 2 phase (line & neutral) is a Huge benefit. #2 As you, I also added a FUSE in series with the Live to avoid nastier consequences for any oversight. My suggestion to other users is to not oversee and skip adding one. #3 I also saw the benefit of visual indication, using the Neon lamp gives a clear indication. I may adapt mine with color LEDs (w/ cap/res limiting & diode in anti-parallel) as a useful reminders. Thanks for posting!

@LearnElectronicsRepair Год назад

I don't understand point #2 as I did clearly fit a fuse. What should I add?

@EJEuth Год назад

@@LearnElectronicsRepair Good point, my bad, sorry… you did include in the final drawing at last couple of minutes. I guess I posted the comment based on the review of other parts of the video and their sketches, but you highlighted the final “deluxe” version with the fuse. I will adjustment post to just emphasize the fuse - this may preserve our interaction and your fair points. Thank you for the reply!

@australianbloke3934 7 месяцев назад

Greetings from Australia. I'm sure you meant ''main switch being 2 pole'. Single phase = one active phase and neutral; Two phase = two active phases and neutral; Three phase = three active phases and neutral.

@Dutch_off_grid_homesteading Год назад

Heya, have the coponants inhouse but still have to bild it

@hima4all Год назад

Hello Richard, thanks for the video the problem is i can't find normal lamps anymore in shops only LED. Do you have an alternative to lamps?

@mikeepeck Год назад

Mine is Isolated from the mains and can give me 0-120V in the gray outlet or 0-240V, 0-360V, 0-480V in the red outlet depending on which transformer tap I use.

@JorgeOliveiraDodo 3 месяца назад

Thanks for illustrating this. I'm starting doing it, adding an isolation transformer before so no ground present on the current limiter. Any particular issue I should be aware of, does it make sense in your current limiter schematic?

@alasdairreed4370 Год назад

These are really effective simple devices . In the event that incandescent bulbs are no longer available could you use PTC Thermistors the way they are sometimes used on transformer primaries as the basis for a similar protection device ? You might need some sort of current detection circuit that triggered an LED once the Thermistor had done it's job . Once I think about the best thing to say is long live the incandescent bulb ! Great video!

@andygozzo72 Год назад

i have been thinking of making an 'active' current limiter

@bobsudich117 Год назад

Very simple setup. You could have a low wattage globe and a high wattage globe hooked up like you have done it but put a switch on the high wattage circuit so you can have a low and high current setup

@LearnElectronicsRepair Год назад

Yeah of course you can add switches to select the bulbs 🙂

@thomashallqvist1198 Год назад

In the EU, we can turn the plug so that L and N switch places. How does it affect. Does it matter, or do you have to think about where the L is in the outlet? /Thomas

@FixTronics Год назад

You may add one more switch to separate one lamp when not needed instead of taking it off

@anthonydenn4345 Год назад

Might be a good idea to colour code the switches. Green for mains power on/off, red on/off for mains/bulbs directly connected or not, and orange on/off for both or one bulb connected 😀

@ProjectsWithUncleD Год назад

Would a GFCI outlet improve the dim bulb tester circuit? I would be interested to see you explain GFCI outlets.

@John_Smith__ Год назад

Like your videos a lot but the most funny thing that instantly came to my mind looking a the video title was ... were am I going to find light bulbs 😀😀 the ue has made them illegal ! 😀😀 Also on your circuit the neon light needs a 100KOhms to 150K resistor (1/4W is more then sufficient).

@LearnElectronicsRepair Год назад

The series resistor is built into the switch

@LearnElectronicsRepair Год назад

I live in the EU and I can easily buy light bulbs in the local shops - so they obviously are not very illegal 😉

@John_Smith__ Год назад

@@LearnElectronicsRepair 😀 I also live in the EU ... I will dig more for those illegal bulbs 😀😀 And I had a setup just like your also back in the 90's ... can not find it tho, so I truly have to make another one.

@AiantasD 9 месяцев назад

I wonder if we can use small hallogen lamps type G4 same wattage instead incandescent light bulbs for space economy for this project.

@nonsuch Год назад

Luckily, my local hardware store stocks these awesome clear G.E. 300W / 130V incandescent bulbs. I ended up buying a box of 6 a few years ago, just in case they stop carrying them. Sooner or later I'm sure production of them will cease.

@jimmichaels5058 Год назад

Maybe I am missing something, why would the Neon not light with the bypass switch open ? Surely the 52 or 26 ohm resistance of the light bulb(s) would have no practical effect on the voltage to the Neon lamp. If the Neon was replaced with a pair of Incandescent lamps they would still light at half voltage with the bypass switch off! Only possible explanation I see for it working is the switch being used actually has a second pole for the Neon separate from the power contacts

@Manticore1960 Год назад

I'm baffled too. 26 Ohms in series with a neon should have no effect.

@florianhofmann7553 11 месяцев назад

This behaviour is to be expected from the circuit. I reckon the switch he used actually is a dual pole switch - one for the bulb and one for the switch.....Edit: should have read the whole comment ;)

@ronchinoy 10 месяцев назад

I had an amp hooked up to a 100 watt bulb. And chased my tail for 3 days trying to figure out why the amp output was so low. It would be nice if you could explain how using such a lamp impacts the voltage drop going into the transformer. And then comming out the transformer as well as how much it limits the amps the speaker can pull. For now I will just add a by pass switch like you have.

@badgerfool1980 Год назад

Hi Richard, I'm about to build one of these. I'm a complete beginner so thought it was probably the best place to start! If I understand the lightbulb in this circuit is acting as a PTC thermistor is that right?

@misterbonzoid5623 Год назад

Yes

@andyhelipilot3528 Год назад

Could you not use a choke for a sodium light?

@paulstaf Год назад

I use a junction box with an outlet and a light socket, no switches. That way, I know if I am connected to the limiters outlet, I am limiting and don't inadvertently connect directly by forgetting to have a switch in a certain position. If I don't need the limiter anymore I move the device to a normal outlet.

@LearnElectronicsRepair Год назад

That method is as good as any. I added the bypass switch because the DUT on my bench will always connect to my isolation transformer, not a 'normal' outlet. You are correct though, you have to make sure you put the switch in the correct orientation 😉

@sivoltage Месяц назад

What size fuse would be suitable for testing audio amplifiers. Thanks.

@johnfitzpatrick2469 7 месяцев назад

G, day from Sydney Australia. I was thinking how you were going to illuminate very small currents with (2) incandescent globes 100w 20w then simply "unscrew" the 100w leaving 20w (bridge of curly wire) to glow. If I want V and A meter or banana plugs for multimeter measurements: you said 'on the output'. Is that just before the 240V plug socket: where the appliance will be connected? Moreover what size fuse (10Amp) would you use Is that wire gauge thick enough to resist over heating if one decided to unscrew the 70W and you test a short with only the 20W Thank you🕛💫

@ianhaylock7409 Год назад

If you add the on/off switch after the fuse instead of before the output, then the red light on the bypass switch wouldn't light up when the on/off switch is off.

@TheDurdane Год назад

Thats a good suggestion!

@LearnElectronicsRepair Год назад

The red light on the bypass switch does illuminate (when it is set to short the lightbulbs) with the output switch set to off. I demonstrated that in the video. I'm not certain what you are referring too - could you elaborate further?

@shrine5222 10 месяцев назад

how would this differ with a 100v supply?

@zoltankecse991 5 месяцев назад

Hi! Great video. Please tell me. Can I use the lamp in series after the isolation transformer (230/230) at the same time in the same circuit? Like this: Main power (230) -> isolation transformer -> series lamp -> and socket (outlet) Is this right? ( I want to test audio amplifiers.)

@TheDurdane Год назад

Thanks! I’m gonna build one! Question: Is the 'polarity' (neutral and live) of any relevance? The reason I ask is the differences between the power grids between countries. I think that in England there is only one way to put a power plug in a socket, while here in Holland it does not matter if you turn the plug 180 degrees?

@chrishartley1210 Год назад

It will work perfectly well but remember that even if your output socket is polarised then you lose that polarisation by using an unpolarised input.

@TheDurdane Год назад

@@chrishartley1210 Ok, thanks!

@aandpman Год назад

What, if anything, should be done with the earth ground? Should it come into play as some sort of safety measure? Just wondered.

@LearnElectronicsRepair Год назад

I connected the input socket ground to the output socket ground. So this will ground the device under test even when using the limiter. Having said that, in my case I have an isolation transformer powering the bench so I don't have any ground connected

@jimjones1652 10 месяцев назад

I was testing a power supply today using the current limit bulb which has worked in the past but this time it didn't it still trips the main breaker instantly. Would that be a short to ground issue, I'm not seeing it when testing the plug with the multimeter I just get OL. There is no bang,flash or smoke and the bulb never comes on.

@michsmi8297 Год назад

I have a 100w bulb preceded by a variac, then isolation transformer. The isolation transformer in my case prevents the variac from tripping the mains in this configuration, which seems to work well. But is it possible that in some instances the limit of the isolation transformer in series with a bulb can reduce current to an smps such that it starts then stops under load because the current input is reduced, not unlike, or similar to the example you gave with the pfc? I have this occurrence with an smps that works without load but when plugged in with all the safety features turns everything on but then restarts. The time it turns on is longer than the kick start period so I am sure it's a current supply issue on load, if that makes sence. I therefore thought perhaps I might try another bulb in parallel to increase power, as in your demonstration.

@LearnElectronicsRepair Год назад

My isolation transformer and also my variac are both 2000VA so I have not had that particular problem myself

@michsmi8297 Год назад

@@LearnElectronicsRepairI plugged the psu directly into the mains and found that I had indeed cured the problem and that it was the safety features limiting the current. So happy days! But getting a large transformer is rather expensive.

@faceboxtv4789 Месяц назад

What is the formula to calculate the bulb wattage needed related to the device?

@paulp2033 Год назад

Hi there. I noticed from the back of the packet, that your lamp sockets are max 40w. Is that not a concern ?

@frozendude707 Год назад

I noticed the same, probably the plastics will not take much heat before getting "melty". I would guess that the rating is for continuous use, so should be fine, but still it triggers me...

@eamonhannon1103 Год назад

What is its advantage over using a simple circuit breaker ?

@unintendedperson Год назад

It wouldnt explode your new component you change.

@limpet9 7 месяцев назад

Surely, if there is a short, this would trip any earth leakage device on a consumer unit before the lamps get a chance to glow.

@nemeik 7 месяцев назад

hello, is this the same schematics for 230v european power plug?

@jjcale2288 7 месяцев назад

The neon light will glow no matter the switch position.

@PerchEagle Год назад

The incandescent lamps are like completely out of stock in the local market even on Aliexpress. Is there any other solution for this problem ?

@weerobot Год назад

You Can Find These Premade Ones on Chinese Markets..Takes bit of Searching thuo..

@paulhancock3844 Год назад

Just buy a dimmer switch, job done and a fraction of the cost

@jasonsomerville2504 4 месяца назад

These days it is getting harder to purchase incandescent bulbs in uk - being replaced by LED - low power versions - with this in mind any ideas how to work with what is now available?

@orion310591RS Год назад

Concept of this is good, but personally, I would make this limiter with 3-4 bulbs, and they should be chosen on switch. Bulb 1 = 60W, bulb 4 to have 300W. Then you can select different bulbs via switch. Different bulbs means different limiters, in single device, but you really must have 4 different bulbs.

@LearnElectronicsRepair Год назад

Yeah there are many ways to do this. The range of wattage depends on what you are usually testing. For me the bulbs I selected suit my needs

@bmsfx 4 месяца назад

Im gonna build me one of these, im a electrician so i have access to all these items, but, since im in Denmark and halogen ect in e27 is illigal to sell now, im gonna go with two G9 60W 230V bulbs, should do the same, and they can sell em :P

@mp1454 Год назад

🙏🏻😀🌟❤️👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

@garywilliam5203 6 месяцев назад

Not trying to nitpick but isn't the first schematic drawing wrong at 5:35 as the switch only bypasses one light bulb?

@Manticore1960 Год назад

I can't understand why the limiter switch neon isn't glowing all the time. It will have an internal ballast resistor of a couple of hundred kOhms probably, so the addition of just 26 Ohms would make no difference. Indeed, you even said that the on/off switch was incorrectly wired so that it's neon was on when the switch was either on or off. Looking at the circuit diagram, this would put it's neon in parrallel with the limit switch neon. So why would one be on, while the other is off?

@JurassicJenkins Год назад

I would like to point out that two, parallel wired, 70w bulbs is not the same as a single 140w bulb in this circuit. The parallel setup allows twice as much current compared to a single 70w and four times as much as a single 140w. Might be obvious to most.

@sparky150875 4 месяца назад

Hi Richard, I have built one of these very similar to that one. Only issue I have is when the lamp is in the socket the bypass neon is permanently on. How could I change this so its only on when I switch to direct. I know you may not see this as its an old video.

@steliosmakrodimitris9305 3 месяца назад

Same issue here!.......Did you solve the problem?

@sparky150875 3 месяца назад

@steliosmakrodimitris9305 no not solved, just have to put up with it. I have labelled the switch so not to make the mistake of having it switched the wrong way.

@steliosmakrodimitris9305 3 месяца назад

I did some research.... The best way to overcome this problem is by using a double pole single throw rocker switch with embedded neon lamp!

@sparky150875 3 месяца назад

@steliosmakrodimitris9305 fair point, I might look at that. I have a double pole single throw as my main isolator switch. Might just use a normal double pole for that and use the neon one for the lamp. Thanks for the info my friend. 👍

@steliosmakrodimitris9305 3 месяца назад

@@sparky150875 You are welcome mate

@davet3804 Год назад

One word of warning, I was repairing an exposure audiophile amp . On completion the power supply oscillated terribly until I removed the current limit !then all was fine

@LearnElectronicsRepair Год назад

That may be the same problem I find with switch mode power supplies that have active PFC

@UltraUltaderdritte Год назад

I asked myself how many watts can pass throught the bulb before it lights up? Or which light bulb do I need for a certain device knowing the power it normally draws. I live in a country with 230V mains. My light bulbs start to glow around 30V. So the device still gets around 200V which should be sufficient for a normal operation. The official voltage is 230V +/-10% and 200V is only slightly below (-13%). I measured 40W, 60W and 100W light bulbs and in all cases the current at 30V is just slightly above 1/3 of the nominal current. That means the device can draw around 1/3 of the nominal power of the light bulb. Hence a 40W, 60W, 100W light bulb allows for 13W, 20W, 33W power into the device. This should not differ significantly in countries with different mains voltage like 115V as these are power ratios.

@LearnElectronicsRepair Год назад

The choice of light bulb wattage mostly depends on the type of devices you usually work on

@peterwhitten1353 Год назад

I noticed the rating of your lamp holders was only 40W. Is that an opps moment?

@Tony770jr Год назад

Yeah those incandescent bulbs are getting harder to find. I guess you can't use LED bulbs in this case?

@LearnElectronicsRepair Год назад

Only incandescent or halogen. I mentioned this in the video

@dustincole7067 Год назад

Why don't you use a wire stripper?

@gibbywankenobi66 Год назад

Cause he is that good. He doesn't need one!

@dlange89 Год назад

I thought it was because on youtube strippers were banned. :P

@gibbywankenobi66 Год назад

@@dlange89 LOL, you may be right!

@dustincole7067 Год назад

Maybe 😏

@TheDurdane Год назад

He would be too much distracted by a stripper. 🤣

@Foobar_The_Fat_Penguin Год назад

I was always under the impression that the proper way to use stranded wires with these kinds of terminal blocks is to crimp ferrules on the wire ends. Because bare wire stranded can be damaged by the screw and with soldered wire, the solder will give over time. Both leading to bad connections and high contact resistance. 🤔

@j.f.christ8421 Год назад

Well, don't look too closely at your house wiring, or any of the stuff in it.

@zarzarel1910 Год назад

Thank you professor..... 1. what is the value of the fuse? 1A, 500mA ? 2. Can normal bulbs be used, with simple filament, not just halogen? 3. When you have time, can you do a lesson on the tester for leds and for zener diodes, in the same electronic assembly? I have a 220/2x9 volt transformer plus a 4 volt winding in alternating current with a consumption at the output of the transformer of 200mA and I want to attach, taking as a model the electronic circuit designed by you, a mini-voltmeter (measuring range 100 Vdc/10A) at the output of which there should be electric resistances for 5mA, 10mA and 20mA... 4. A protection and filtering circuit of the transformer, from the 220 volt network to the primary winding of the transformer, for a consumer, at the output of the DC circuit of maximum 3A this only according to your free time

@zarzarel1910 Год назад

@@unintendedperson are you the owner of this channel "Learn Electronics Repair"? if you are not, keep quiet and stop giving advice

@csimet Год назад

In the states, our typical house breakers are 15A (120V). Very few devices I'd be testing would ever draw anything near that, so my plan is to fuse it at 5A (600W) which should be more than enough.

@TheDurdane Год назад

@@zarzarel1910 Why are you so rude, @Priyo Agung is very polite and cordial; just being of help.

@zarzarel1910 Год назад

@@TheDurdane Thank you for the "help" with my questions 1,2,3 and 4 addressed to the teacher...you guided me very well, as did @Priyo Agung...at school, in my youth, I remembered the following: "may well, you keep silent in a field that you do not master very well, except to talk a lot and unnecessarily, without any connection with the respective problem"...this is the characteristic of politicians who, after you vote for them, think in their minds: " I've screwed up another one"...or, there is another "policy" of some: "to have as many comments as possible on YT, without any help in the discussed problem"...punctual, to my questions, what are you up to income as a technical contribution in solving them? maybe the teacher doesn't have time or there is another problem more urgent than answering my questions about dance and I prefer to wait for an answer or try to answer these questions myself, looking for technical documentation about the subject. .is this way of solving the problem more restrictive than with the "help" received from you, the two users specified above... greetings and all the best

@TheDurdane Год назад

@@zarzarel1910 You have the right to an opinion. But enforcing it makes you as dubious as the politicians you refer to. Improve the world; start with yourself.

@googleedwardbernays6455 11 месяцев назад

Jesus, man! I appreciate the effort as well as your intent. But this tutorial was NOT for a first timer! Between the challenges of your specific design’s extra “bells and whistles” (i’m a slow boy) coupled with i only speak & understand english that is pronounced the way the words are spelled, as opposed to whatever is happening here in this video. I wish so hard i could just find a concise, simple , organized explanation at a relaxed pace. Every single lesson i read or watch has contradicting info on the wattage of the bulb, the wiring of the circuit. Tgis is supposed to be a simple helpful device and i am still in the weeds with even building an internal fundamental understanding of the damn thing. Thanks for letting me vent. You are legit the 7th video i have watched on this and each one leaves me with more questions than answers. Please if anyone’s gunna respond, just chill with the sassy comments about my stupidity. I get it. Im trying. But i am not being hyperbolic when i say, i have never had such a hard time with something thats rumored to be “so easy”. Been to hardware store twice now and i somehow still don’t collectively have any uploaders version of this thing.

@jonathanrose456 5 месяцев назад

What happens when the lamp blows? Lol

@Mark-tp2mz Год назад

I put a neon bulb in but it alway stays on (regardless of when bypass switch is closed or open) as power can flow through the bulbs and will light neon bulb even with bypass switch open, The only way to tell whether bypass is on or off and working is if bulbs are fully removed and then the neon bulb lights when the bpass switch is closed. no other path exists except through the bypass switch.

@florianhofmann7553 11 месяцев назад

This behaviour is to be expected from the circuit. I reckon the switch he used actually is a dual pole switch - one for the bulb and one for the switch.

@Manticore1960 11 месяцев назад

@@florianhofmann7553 That's the only explanation. But I don't think all illuminated switches work that way. I think some have the neon permanently connected to the neutral terminal, rather than internally switched. Whichever way you look at it, the circuit diagram is wrong. If you want to add a seperate neon, then a double pole single throw (DPST) switch is needed.