Disposable Camera Flash Circuit.

Yeah its cool... I wont do anything stupid. I also have a resistor to, so I could throw that on there.

You need to be careful with how you apply a device like this, they charge to about 300 volts even from a 1.5V battery and if you add too much capacitance you could easily make something that could kill someone, or start fires. I'm not sure why you say it doesn't have enough 'kick' I've taken a standard camera flash out of a disposable camera and accidentally touched the board when it was discharged and the capacitor still had enough voltage to make me drop it. (The flash tubes require a couple hundred volts to conduct, the cap will recharge to 50 or more volts due to dielectric absorption)

An ordinary little resistor has a max voltage rating of only 200V to 250V. It will arc from the high voltage. When it arcs then it is just a piece of wire and is not limiting the current.
So use a high voltage resistor or a few same value resistors in series to limit the current.

Haha Sceadwian I never said it didn't have enough kick, it probably does. I was just saying 'what if' I didn't think it was strong enough. At this moment I am kind of scared to purposely shock myself with it, but I accidentally did and it didn't seem that bad. The thing is it all happened so quickly I could hardly remember what it felt like. And like I said, if I did add another one on it would be with a switch so I could turn it on or off.

so i gather you got it working?? congrats!!! a switch on the second capacitor is a great idea!!! just make sure the switch itself isn't connected to the caps, then when you go to change it, you will get shocked through the switch

Well, I almost have it all working, I have kinda delayed putting it all together until I find a suitable case to put everything in. But what do you mean don't connect the switch directly to the capacitor's? What do you mean "directly"? And also, an automotive flip switch would work right? I can't see why it wouldn't.

just don't let the connections touch the case of the switch (if it's metal), or you will get shocked when you go to change between 1 and 2 capacitors. yep, an automotive switch should work, but if it's case is made of metal, be careful, like i said above

Oh ok, I had a feeling that is what you meant, the case if all plastic though. I want to find a suitable project box type thing around here to use, but I can't seem to find one, they are all to big or to small. I could always buy a project box from radio shack but if I can I would rather not spend the money. It's cool though, something should show up.

Hey, I was also wondering if you had aim or msn messenger or something.

Yeah definitely be careful with high voltages,even if the amperage is not that high.I can't remember what the amperage is that would hurt or kill a person by stopping the natural electrical conduction of the heart,but you don't want to find out.Case in point,being a Paramedic I got dispatched to a guy who got "Hit" by a lawnmower Magneto while "Testing" for spark.He had a congenital condition called WPW(Wolff Parkinson White)Google it if you want to know more about it.Anyway,the relative small shock was enough to trigger the WPW in his heart,and made some havoc on the EKG monitor.After some medications from us we fixed him,he was ok.Point is he was lucky,but you never know what stray electricity will do to the hearts conduction system,just be careful....

Baske7Cas3 said:

Hey, I was also wondering if you had aim or msn messenger or something.

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i do have msn, but i don't go on it very often (forum browsing) . is the switch plastic?

Ya Recue1 I will definitely be careful. And to reply to things, Yes the switch is plastic, actually it is all plastic from what I can tell except for the two metal prongs.

Also, I don't know how it would be done because I am a beginner but I think it would be sick to be able to have an LED light up while the capacitor(s) are charging. And if so, stay lit while the capacitor's are charged but I believe that would be a bit more difficult, if even possible. If I could just make an LED light up while charging I think it would be cool.

This also leads me to another question that has nothing to do with anything we have talked about. I have recently bought the book electronics for dummies which I have begun reading and it talked about energy flowing from electrons (negative) to protons (positive). And then a little bit further in the book it showed a simple breadboard circuit which consisted of 4 AA batteries a resistor and an LED. Which makes perfect sense to me how it all works, but then, when it showed how to read it on schematics, It had the positive side of the battery shown to go through the resistor and then to the LED. But since energy flows from negative to positive, it would appear that the voltage would go through the LED first and then hit the resistor. I guess what I am trying to ask is does the symbol for the battery in schematics not represent the actual direction the terminals need to be wired in. This is kinda hard to explain, but is the schematic symbol for the battery always the same, like would they never flip it upside down to show which way the terminals should be connected? If you are confused by this, I will try to take a picture of it from the book and upload it.

Ok, I will post it anyways to clarify.

**broken link removed**

Shouldn't the negative charge be on top? Or am I just being a retard? Or does the actual direction of the schematic symbol not reflect the real direction?

yeah i just recently found out that electrons flowed - to +, actually it was a thread on here somewhere. it's kinda hard to explain, but you can put a resistor on any side of the led, and it'll still work the same, but i don't really know how that works?? hmmmm, maybe something to think about??? for your led question, doesn't the camera already have a led or neon indicator on it??oh, i see, you want it to show when it is charging???maybe you could wire an led to the batteries to show when the whole circuit is on?

oh, you posted before me

Wow, lol just when I was starting to understand electronics a bit more that whole resistor on any side thing really threw me off... So your saying you can put a resistor on either side of the LED and it will work, even if though it flows from negative to positive and its on the positive side? confused... lol...

Ummm, about the LED, if I wired it to the battery, it would always be on, even if it wasn't charging or charged. Wouldn't it? Well, thats if I did it straight to the battery, but if I did it to the metal prongs that touch the battery, that should work right? Like the metal battery holder? Also, that would only be for charging, which I have no problem with, but if there is a way to have the LED stay lit while it is charged that would be sick. I guess I know how I could do it, but I guess it would be better to only be lit while charging so I know when its done charging.

Now I just need to find a case.

yep, you can put the resistor on any side of the led, and it will still work the same. does the camera already have an indicator to tell you when it is charged?

Well, no it doesn't. It has a red LED on it, but it doesn't make any light when i charge it, when its charged, or when I shock with it... So I don't know what it is for.

And one more thing, It just started happening but once I release the charge and shock something it sparks where the alligator clip is connected the capacitor... Wait nvm... its just one of the alligator clips sparks where the wire is connected to it.

hmmmm, i wonder why the led won't light??? does it spark between the alligator clips on the capacitor????????? it's only 300 volts????

oh, right

I don't know what is up with the LED... I think it lights up on auto charge flash circuit... But idk.