Aromaz 018a - Full day run, additional info and comparison Part 1.MP4

[juniortore]

very efficient! good job

[Drevtoobe]

I hope that you don't mind if I give you a reality check.

Why are the lights flickering? Nobody has speculated about that.

I will explain step by step: 1. The battery voltage is dropping under the load of running the CFLs, it's discharging. 2. Below a certain threshold voltage, the oscillator fails. 3. The load on the battery lessens when the CFLs go off, and the battery voltage starts to creep up. 4. The oscillator restarts with enough bat voltage, the CFLs light up. 5. Go to step 1.

[Drevtoobe]

I will guess that over 20+ hours of running the setup the battery is 90%+ discharged. The current consumption is on the order of tens of milliamps. The flickering represents the final 'death throws' of the nearly discharged battery. It may last another four or five hours before the finally CFLs stop cycling on and off.

If the consumption was truly 12 microamps, then the setup should run for months.

So how do you explain the multimeter reading?

[Drevtoobe]

You have to remember that the multimeter is essentially an analog to digital converter, a CPU running software, and a display.

When you are measuring current, the multimeter is running a software algorithm that tries to give you the best readout. Your current waveform is a short pulse, then nothing for a 'long time' then a short pulse, etc.

The multimeter samples the current waveform, and runs an algorithm that rejects samples that are much different from the average sample.

[Drevtoobe]

The current pulses are being rejected by the multimeter "throw away the odd readings" algorithm. So the multimeter might be averaging the last four out of five current readings, and rejecting the fifth 'odd' reading and displaying the averaged value of 12 microamps.

Note also that when you checked the batt voltage at the end you did not measure the battery voltage under load. You have to measure the batt voltage under load to gauge it's health. With no load you get the 12.60(?) volt reading

[Aromaz2012]

Thanks for the check. However, for onece I will have to differ from you. I ran everything all night - yes; the batteries were down this morning. Though lights were still active; they were dim. These are fluorescent tubes. Batteries were 11.98 and 11.74 volt.

I replaced them with the automotive batteries I used before; which I checked to be full- and lights still flickered.

If you say that the amount of lights has exceeded the system ability - YES that is what I suspect. Still testing

[Drevtoobe]

It's possible that your automotive battery is old and even though it is charged, it is somewhat 'fluffy' a.k.a. the output impedance is relatively high, and the voltage is dipping under the load causing the same effect.

There is a more esoteric possibility. These types of self-oscillating transistor circuits are very unstable, and when you swapped the batteries the oscillator's properties changed. The circuit was shut off and then restarted 'cold' with different properties.

[Aromaz2012]

Possible 1: No. 2x batteries are brand new. 2x has done 16 cycles on Bedini SG. Same results, also with L Ion.

Second option with changes in transistors - yes, that is good possibility. I do find it sometimes when changing batteries; have re-start few times to get flicker away.

[nat1971aa]

wow!!

[Aromaz2012]

Thank you, One of the uses will be on boats, after all we build them. Ultimately, IF I live that long, I would like to have an alternative driven power boat on Sydney-Hobart end 2009.

[Lidmotor]

Corrie--This is really what I am after. Thanks. This proves to me that we can run this on the boat for our lighting needs. Put a small solar panel with it an it will work just fine for me. Maybe charge up two small 12v batteries during the day and put them in series (24v) for the max light at night.

[ipariah]

keep going corrie its great

[Aromaz2012]

Thank you, appreciate your encouragement.