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Perpetual moving sticks

73's de Edd

Aug 21, 2015
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Aug 21, 2015
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3,613
Sir FrenchConnection67 . . . . .

Looks like absolutely everything that I had surmised about the stand alone power board for the main boards power, turns out to be true.
If this was a customer return item, and was being resold, as is , its probable fault was the unit stalling out to a dead stop after some period of normal running. Or in its present state . . . it's not even starting up.
Your readings are pointing to either a connection , foil path, or open coil winding on Sense Coil 2 connective route to IC 2.

On your Sense Coil 1 to IC 1 pin 6 you are reading that coils 357 ohms of resistance. Therefore, all is well.
On your Sense Coil 2 to IC 2 pin 6 you are reading megohms of resistance.
So measure directly across that Sense Coil 2' s terminals, and track down /outwards from there to the IC 2 input..
Is it a connection at the coil or in the circuitry outward to the IC2 or the Sense coils other connection ?

PERCEIVED . . . .BASIC CONCEPT OF DESIGN . . . . . .

In investigating this products web site, I am thinking that a GOOD amount of time at end of manufacture is the setting up, adjusting and precise BALANCING of the two "sticks" at final test..
Instructions of initial start up, has the large stick balanced horizontally with the rotatable smaller sticks axis being to the right.
I'll just bet that the degree of weight balance criticality, probably has the left side of the large stick being at 50 decimal 001 % weight distribution and the right side being at 49 decimal 999 % weight balancing distribution..
So . . . . . the hand support of the left side of the large stick is released and it then gravitationally moves down to the point where the enclosed magnet within the end of the large stick starts increasingly inducing its magnetic field into the Sense coil. I am seeing it's related op amp configured as a comparator / threshold detector .
( I can't ascertain by the available photo info, whether this is being Sense coil 1 or 2 that the long end of the walking stick will be approaching, upon its release.)
BUT the magnet will be gradually inducing an increasing voltage into the sense coil up to the peak point where it centers upon it and then a decline in voltage as it passes the peak. A 1/2 quasi sine waveform node is thereby created.
The point of interest is being the point where that initial voltage build up threshold, where the comparator switches on and outputs to which I suspect to be, some of the viewed additional discrete transistors and their supporting Resistive and Capacitive selected time constants.
The combinations, make up a one shot circuit, so that as the created magnetic field from the long arms approach, turns on the output of a comparator, that, with the one shot circuitry, maintains base drive to the appropriate Q1 or Q2 fed , centrally located, DRIVER coil. That magnetic PULL then adds enough momentum to keep the long arm short arm combination, being able to complete a rotational cycle.
The one shot aspect of drive is required , to stop drive coil magnetic action just before the centering of the arms magnet at the center of the drive coil, as any longer timing action would actually be creating a braking action !

With run time, the small sticks random rotational positions on its axis, comes to such a critical balancing position, the combo stalls and the that the large stick slows down so much that it then falls and starts a gradual movement in the opposite direction.
NOW, this is then where the other sides Sense coil and total duplication of circuitry, then detects the long stick coming from another direction, and engages the same aforementioned circuit actions, feeding into the other related Q1 or Q2 coil driver.

With the initial info on the missing 357ohms of sense coil resistance, found earlier, it now might be the possibility that the unit can or will work in one direction for a duration, until that balancing coincidence of the need to reverse directions.

So o o o o o o o . . . . . why not now, set the unit up to work and power up and with YOUR having examined to see WHICH Sense coil is not working ( unless you have already found and fixed) .
Then you either use the normal start up procedure of having the long stick end at left side horizontal position and releasing, and thereby see if it gets its central magnetic pull and will complete a full rotational cycle . . . . . . . or if all is not well, it will just swing back and forth in incrementally decreasing movements and eventually stall. (Sound the KLAXXON horn .)

Otherwise, you now would then want to try the alternate procedure of placing the long sticks end at right horizontal position and then give it a micro push downwards, just to be able to reach into that sides other associated Sense coil's range, to then see if it will then be pulled by the central driver coil and do its magic cycling . . . .UNTIL . . . . the balancing coincidence of its having to make a directional change.

Go ye forth and do those preliminary tests . . . . . if indecisive in results . . . .report back and have a . . . .preferable . . . . small bar or cylindrical (versus button) rare earth magnet . . . . (for its strength.)
Then I can give another, more in depth , analytical dynamic test procedure of the unit.

Thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaasit . . . .

73's de Edd . . . . .

Lets just face it . . . . . when you’ve seen one shopping center . . . . . you’ve seen the-mall.


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