00:19 <sb0> hmm does this work? http://laserhacker.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/SuperJoule3.jpg

02:02 <DocScrutinizer05> work for what?

02:03 <DocScrutinizer05> the circuit isn't all that clear on its intended purpose

02:04 <DocScrutinizer05> also looks terribly BOM-optimized, with no considerations about *anything* except BOM

02:14 <DocScrutinizer05> meh, had to use some guessing to find http://laserhacker.com/?p=527

02:15 <DocScrutinizer05> that looks like a ferrite toroid, not a rod

02:17 <DocScrutinizer05> meh! sb0, yes it might work, but definitely not nicely

02:25 <DocScrutinizer05> but I think they messed up orientation of primary and secondary coil of transformer

02:27 <sb0> oh yes sure, it's not nice. but does it oscillate at all and drive the transformer?

02:27 <sb0> the secondary circuit is driving the transistor between collector and base, not between the emitter and base as one would expect

03:08 <DocScrutinizer05> yeah, it looks pretty strange

03:09 <DocScrutinizer05> then OTOH B-W vs B-C doesn't _really_ make a difference for AC, only for DC

03:10 <DocScrutinizer05> s/B-W/B-E/

03:10 <qi-bot> DocScrutinizer05 meant: "then OTOH B-E vs B-C doesn't _really_ make a difference for AC, only for DC"

03:11 <DocScrutinizer05> with the coil between B-E you had no bias opening the transistor, and you'd need an additional resistor to create such bias to make the circuit start up

03:15 <DocScrutinizer05> anyway it's a really nasty circuit, that could easily latch up

03:20 <DocScrutinizer05> the components "Light" and "B"(attery) are not really defined and probably complex, with their complexity being relevant in that nasty circuit

03:24 <DocScrutinizer05> maybe the whole circuit is actually only working by operating the transistor in a possibly destructive way.

03:44 <DocScrutinizer05> but *maybe* those schematics are outright wrong

03:47 <DocScrutinizer05> I mean, you can't drain current from a NPN base, you only can dump current into it

03:50 <DocScrutinizer05> the "Light" component actually looks like it might be an LED energy-saver lamp, which means it is a Graetz-bridge with a buffer capacitor behind

03:51 <DocScrutinizer05> this would massively change the way this circuit works

10:22 <whitequark> sb0: oh that's just a joule thief

10:23 <whitequark> sb0: wiki even has a full descrition

10:23 <whitequark> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joule_thief#Description_of_operation

10:26 <sb0> whitequark, not exactly, the output is in series with the base

10:26 <whitequark> ah, hm

23:49 <DocScrutinizer05> yeag, it's terribly weird

23:50 <DocScrutinizer05> yeah, even

23:51 <DocScrutinizer05> it has one obvious advantage (if you can call advantages on a defunct design): switching off the load ('Lamp') will immanently switch off the circuit

23:57 <DocScrutinizer05> a joule-thief works via the positive feedback (like basically all oscillators do), so opening the C-E of transistor must make current flow through 'lamp', until transistor eventually switches off (for whatever reason, prolly saturation of the transformer) and then the feedback will need to apply *low* voltage to transistor to make a positive feedback... :-o where does the stored energy in transformer get dissipated then??!, *at

23:57 <DocScrutinizer05> least* this circuit needs a clamp diode E-B to allow transformer energy to power the 'lamp' while current flows from B through coil to 'lamp' and then to don't know where (mind you C-E closed)