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Post by rustyfarmall on May 4, 2024 8:58:31 GMT -6
We had a power outage a couple of days ago. No big deal because it didn't last more than about 1 hour, but it gave me the opportunity to test my "backup" system. The system consists of a battery jump pack and an inverter. Got it set up and plugged my end table lamp in. The lamp came on, but very dimly. Then I remembered that I had replaced that bulb just a few days ago. Replaced the 100 watt incandescent with an L.E.D. bulb. Apparently that LED bulb does not like the power from an inverter, because I replaced it with another 100 watt incandescent and everything was just fine.
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Post by Erstwhile on May 4, 2024 11:09:36 GMT -6
The LED's are a nifty new technology. However, this dummy had a lesson to learn about them. I was working on some implement in the shop and knocked the trouble light with a LED bulb in it off its hook. The fall knocked the outside bulb/cover off, but the LED filament kept shining. I glanced down at it momentarily and was immediately blinded. DO NOT LOOK AT A BARE LED ! ! !
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Post by RedDave on May 4, 2024 12:14:36 GMT -6
The LED lights operates at a low voltage, so it has a power supply that electronically chops up the 120 volt clean sine waveform AC line voltage that your power company works so hard to generate into small pieces for the LED to work. It has an oscillator in it that tells the power supply when to take those pieces of the line voltage and send it to the LED. In doing this it makes a choppy, ugly waveform as output, but the LED works.
The inverter takes 12 volts DC and, using an oscillator that turns it off and on very fast so that it can be transformed into a higher voltage where it is formed into a sort of sine wave that most household appliances can use. It is usually a choppy, ugly waveform, not a true sine wave, but it is sufficient for most things. The more you pay for an inverter, the better and cleaner the output sine wave might be. If you ever had any experience with tube type mobile 2 way radios, you probably can recall that they would Hum when you turned them on. That was the vibrator power supply which opened and closed a set of contacts enabling the transforming of 12 volts DC into several hundred volts DC required to operate the vacuum tubes. They were called a vibrator power supply and they did the very same thing as what a modern inverter does only it did it mechanically instead of electronically.
I suspect that the oscillator in the LED might use the incoming line frequency as a time base reference and a messy waveform probably screws it up and it can't output the correct voltage to the LED. It's just my theory, but I don't think I'm far off with it.
I put LED bulbs in my garage door opener because of their long life. I found that as long as the lights on the opener were on, the remote door openers didn't work. I changed back to incandescent bulbs and the remotes worked with the lights on again. I suspect that the oscillators in the LED bulbs put out enough RF noise that they overloaded the remote control receiver enough that it couldn't get the signal from the remotes. Again, just my theory, but I'd bet I'm right.
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Post by Butcher on May 4, 2024 14:08:13 GMT -6
The LED lights operates at a low voltage, so it has a power supply that electronically chops up the 120 volt clean sine waveform AC line voltage that your power company works so hard to generate into small pieces for the LED to work. It has an oscillator in it that tells the power supply when to take those pieces of the line voltage and send it to the LED. In doing this it makes a choppy, ugly waveform as output, but the LED works.
The inverter takes 12 volts DC and, using an oscillator that turns it off and on very fast so that it can be transformed into a higher voltage where it is formed into a sort of sine wave that most household appliances can use. It is usually a choppy, ugly waveform, not a true sine wave, but it is sufficient for most things. The more you pay for an inverter, the better and cleaner the output sine wave might be. If you ever had any experience with tube type mobile 2 way radios, you probably can recall that they would Hum when you turned them on. That was the vibrator power supply which opened and closed a set of contacts enabling the transforming of 12 volts DC into several hundred volts DC required to operate the vacuum tubes. They were called a vibrator power supply and they did the very same thing as what a modern inverter does only it did it mechanically instead of electronically.
I suspect that the oscillator in the LED might use the incoming line frequency as a time base reference and a messy waveform probably screws it up and it can't output the correct voltage to the LED. It's just my theory, but I don't think I'm far off with it.
I put LED bulbs in my garage door opener because of their long life. I found that as long as the lights on the opener were on, the remote door openers didn't work. I changed back to incandescent bulbs and the remotes worked with the lights on again. I suspect that the oscillators in the LED bulbs put out enough RF noise that they overloaded the remote control receiver enough that it couldn't get the signal from the remotes. Again, just my theory, but I'd bet I'm right.
So, If I understand what you are saying correctly, when I strike 2 stones together to make a spark to lite my dry tinder on fire for light and heat I have to hold both stones in my left hand? Or did I miss something?
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Post by rustyfarmall on May 4, 2024 14:49:18 GMT -6
In any event, I will be searching for MORE incandescent bulbs. Bought my first LEDs several years ago and my experience was NOT good. Obviously those darned contraptions have not improved.
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Post by olfolks on May 4, 2024 19:22:43 GMT -6
Butcher put one stone in your right ear the other in your left now wiggle your ears to strike the stones to start your fire…….thats how I understood all that
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Post by Erstwhile on May 4, 2024 20:16:52 GMT -6
Now after all that, I'm afraid to ask how a microwave oven works.
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Post by rustyfarmall on May 5, 2024 5:57:01 GMT -6
Now after all that, I'm afraid to ask how a microwave oven works. Microwave ovens are filled with magic. Either they work, or they don't work, and nobody really knows why.
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Post by RedDave on May 5, 2024 6:57:23 GMT -6
No, no, no, not two stones, one stone and one steel. Strike the stone with the steel to make sparks. A pocketknife blade usually works pretty good.
When you fix things for a living, it helps to know what makes things work.
Microwave ovens have oscillators too.
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Post by rustyfarmall on May 5, 2024 7:49:54 GMT -6
Oscillators?? Is that what they're calling it now??
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Post by Butcher on May 5, 2024 8:05:04 GMT -6
No, no, no, not two stones, one stone and one steel. Strike the stone with the steel to make sparks. A pocketknife blade usually works pretty good.
When you fix things for a living, it helps to know what makes things work.
Microwave ovens have oscillators too. Steel? Your assuming my mind has evolved into the iron age.
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Post by Erstwhile on May 5, 2024 8:29:14 GMT -6
Well I was going to smart off about some wag one time saying Loretta Lynn was the only country singer who could say "Oron" right. She also had to learn not to put an R in "Warsh". No luck in looking those two up, but I did run into her association with Allis Chalmers for a while. She was my favorite country star.
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Post by Butcher on May 5, 2024 9:17:50 GMT -6
Well I was going to smart off about some wag one time saying Loretta Lynn was the only country singer who could say "Oron" right. She also had to learn not to put an R in "Warsh". No luck in looking those two up, but I did run into her association with Allis Chalmers for a while. She was my favorite country star. aint - the sister of one’s mother or father (I need to go visit my aint.) caint - can’t (I caint do that.) fitt’in - fixing to, about to (I’m fitt’in to buy one.) fitty - fifty (Can I borrow fitty cents?) i’moan - I am going to (I’moan go to that game.) i’munna - also I am going to (I’munna go to that game.) ‘n em - and them (I’m goin’ to the game with Bob ‘n em.) paints
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