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Questions about ballasts (self.diy_electronics)

submitted 2 months ago by sneekee_snek_17 to c/[email protected]

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I'm using an instructable as reference for a project and it says to use anything available that draws 5-10A as a ballast. Examples were a hair dryer, I thin toaster, and also an incandescent bulb as a test article.

I don't quite understand include any of those things in the circuit. Is it as simple as ripping the guts or if a hair dryer to get to the heating element and writing it in with the exposed leads?

Any general information on ballasts that aren't for florescent lighting would be very helpful

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[–] sneekee_snek_17 2 points 2 months ago (5 children)

Its purpose is current-limiting

https://www.instructables.com/Simplest-POWERFUL-Solid-State-Tesla-Coil-SSTC/

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (4 children)

I see, the instructable suggests using an incandescent (specifically not flouro) globe wired in series with a full bridge rectifier to convert to DC. This would limit the current but is a bit ghetto and the light/heat produced is wasted energy. However a lighting ballast may not be useable as tesla coils are generally dependent on frequency. A globe or element would increase resistance as it warms as they have positive temperature coefficients. So in this case I would say wire a standard globe in series on the active side going into a rectifying diode or full bridge rectifier to convert to DC power. wire mains active to globe socket then globe neutral into diode into your circuit then circuit negative to mains neutral. Hope this helps, best of luck (stay safe) Note: I'm Australian and not overly familiar with your 110v residential wiring, caution advised

[–] sneekee_snek_17 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Okay, it sounds like we're more or less on the same page and that this is more of a workaround to achieve a certain amount of amperage, but in an uncommon way, that leaves a lot up to the imagination (introducing a bit of risk)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Yes, slightly inefficient but it's an interesting workaround. I would say just grab a plug in lamp and splice the cable on the netral but this project really should have an earth connection for safety. Grab an extension lead and a standard ceiling socket, cut the female head off the lead and mount the light socket to some timber and pass the earth through and bond to any non-live exposed metal. Smashing the light also functions as a ghetto emergency stop button :) Edit: be aware that DC suffers more voltage drop than AC, keep the lines short or use thicker cables to compensate

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