B
Bordon
- Jan 1, 1970
- 0
Im trying to build a current transformer from a U Bolt.
I am a novice so be gentle.
I want to detect 120 volts of current in a household line.
I wrapped a 1/4 inch u bolt in about 300 wraps of 30 Gage Magnet wire.
I have wrapped about 4 wraps of the house wire as the primary.
When I test it I only get about 1/2 volt of power out of the secondary.
I want it to light an led or light. I have one led that is about 9volts.
It is my understanding that I should be getting around 12 Volts with my set
up.
One question I have is does it matter what the ubolt is made out of.
Everybody talks Iron, but of course I assume that this ubolt is made out of
steel or who knows what, from home hardware. ~ Will this work? (I have no
Idea if anything is made out of Iron any more)
It also is zinc plated, and then I covered the bare ubolt in Teflon tape to
make the wire stay and in case of shorts. - is this a problem (eg Zinc)?
I wrapped it from the threaded part to the other end and stopped just before
the other threaded part. and back over the secondary a little because I was
not finished my wrappings. I tried to be neat but of course its not that
easy. I put one bolt on each threaded bolt and then the plate and then
another bolt to hold it on so it didn't move --o|o--- .
So far do you see any problems? And possibly why IM getting low voltage on
the Primary. I have tried to test it with a 2 amp drill. The voltage ranges
from .5 - .8.volts.
thanks.
I am a novice so be gentle.
I want to detect 120 volts of current in a household line.
I wrapped a 1/4 inch u bolt in about 300 wraps of 30 Gage Magnet wire.
I have wrapped about 4 wraps of the house wire as the primary.
When I test it I only get about 1/2 volt of power out of the secondary.
I want it to light an led or light. I have one led that is about 9volts.
It is my understanding that I should be getting around 12 Volts with my set
up.
One question I have is does it matter what the ubolt is made out of.
Everybody talks Iron, but of course I assume that this ubolt is made out of
steel or who knows what, from home hardware. ~ Will this work? (I have no
Idea if anything is made out of Iron any more)
It also is zinc plated, and then I covered the bare ubolt in Teflon tape to
make the wire stay and in case of shorts. - is this a problem (eg Zinc)?
I wrapped it from the threaded part to the other end and stopped just before
the other threaded part. and back over the secondary a little because I was
not finished my wrappings. I tried to be neat but of course its not that
easy. I put one bolt on each threaded bolt and then the plate and then
another bolt to hold it on so it didn't move --o|o--- .
So far do you see any problems? And possibly why IM getting low voltage on
the Primary. I have tried to test it with a 2 amp drill. The voltage ranges
from .5 - .8.volts.
thanks.