How to test high voltage diodes

This is a tutorial on how to test if a high voltage diode is good and how to determine the direciton of a high voltage diode, in case it's not marked. High voltage diodes can be bought retail but are also often found in microwave ovens.

In the hobbiest world, high voltage diodes are often used in high voltage power supplies.

I had need of these high voltage diodes for experiments I'm working on to do with the Testatika and the Hyde Generator. More information can be found here: http://rimstar.org/sdenergy

Watch my how-to video, http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to-video-399009/ How to test if a high-voltage diode is functioning properly using direct current on WonderHowTo.

- http://rimstar.org -

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• high
• voltage
• diode
• testing
• hv
• microwave
• oven
• power
• supply
• cocroft-walton
• multiplier

[MrDIMITRIOUifyable]

thank you vary much for the demonstration it was vary useful  and vary well represented

[RimstarOrg]

@MrDIMITRIOUifyable You're welcome. I'm glad to hear it helped.

[stivep1]

I marked this "liked" thank you very much

[RimstarOrg]

@stivep1 Thanks! And you're very welcome.

[lmasisi]

I agree with you with regards to a short, i said that because of the rectification ability of a diode and the fact that once it is in correct operation it has approximately zero resistance. This brings me back to same point, should not the volt drop across the diode be 0.7Volts (this value depends on characteristics of the diode, it could be more or less). I still do not understand why when the diode is connected in the correct polarity the voltage across it is so high???

[RimstarOrg]

@lmasisi It has low resistance in one direction only. The 0.7volts value is the voltage you have to apply across the diode before it will conduct large amounts of current. Once the current starts conducting, the voltage across the diode increases as the current increases.

[RimstarOrg]

@lmasisi But it's not like a short. A short allows current to flow in both directions. A diode allows current to flow in only one direction. See the diagram at the start of the video again. You are not just measuring across the diode but also across the power supply. The diode allows electrons to flow from one side of the power supply to the other, pumping up the voltage. Measuring a short is like putting both meter probes at the same point in the circuit. I just did that and got 0V as expected.

[lmasisi]

My theory tells me that once the diode is forward biased, then it acts as a short, which means the voltmeter should only read the volt drop across the diode which is normally 0.7 volts. How come this is not so in your video? are you using some special diodes or something ?

[PsalmHymn]

Dear Rimmer, I didn't have my eye glasses on and thought this vt. was how to test your high voltage dildoes. . I'd always wanted to have mine tested, but never knew that I could get it checked. . Typical, there isn't any such test for a dildoe, that the one I have could be tested to see if it was still functioning at high voltage, was just a fantasy of mine. . Cheers. from, del-boy.