One flash strobe light

[Blacklemon67]

I'm trying to build a "one flash strobe light." It's basically a box that has a very bright light at the top and when you press a button, it turns on for a spit second. I'm trying to do this with a digital camera flash bulb. This way it's like taking a flash picture without the picture part.

I think I have (most) of the parts:
Digital camera flash bulb in flash holder
2 Capacitors (330v, 180μF and 330v, 80μF)
2 AA batteries (the same amount that powered the camera in the first place)
A bunch of wires

I only need:
A button and
Anything that I haven't thought of but need.

I have two problems:
I'm not sure which capacitor to use and
I don't know how to put together the circuit.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[HarveyH42]

You need a few more items... See the attached circuit for a disposable camera flash.

 

[Blacklemon67]

Oh dear </overwhelmed>

Can this be simplified? For example, to only charge when a button isn't pressed then discharge when the button is pressed?

Also, the fuse sensor thing (shown as a line parallel to the flash bulb and a piece of metal in real life) is only used as a safety precaution. Am I right?

 

[audioguru]

The flash circuit from a disposable camera is as simple and as cheap as is possible.
The circuit steps up the 1.5V or 3V from the battery to about 320V to charge the big capacitor. Then when the button is pushed it makes a few thousand volts spike.

The line parallel to the flash tube is the trigger wire that has a few thousand volts spike in it to ionize the gas in the flashtube so it can begin to conduct.

 

[Blacklemon67]

So all the transistors amplify the voltage, or does it amplify the wattage? Or amps?

I haven't done electronics in a long time!

 

[blueroomelectronics]

So all the transistors amplify the voltage, or does it amplify the wattage? Or amps?

I haven't done electronics in a long time!

A kit might be a better idea, you get all the parts and a PCB.
**broken link removed**

 

[Blacklemon67]

But are the transistors amplifying the voltage?

 

[audioguru]

This circuit is a low voltage oscillator that makes AC. The AC has its voltage stepped up by two transformers. A rectifier diode changes the high voltage AC into high voltage DC that charges the big capacitor.
There is no amplifier.

 

[Blacklemon67]

So can I go out and buy a transformer or is it a certain type of transformer that I need?

 

[audioguru]

The transformer is specially made for the flash circuit.
Buy the kit or go to a store that prints photos and ask for a disposable camera's circuit that they throw away.

 

[Blacklemon67]

Ok, is it possible to just connect the capacitor to the battery without anything? But the capacitor will charge very, very slowly?

 

[KMoffett]

No.

Placing the capacitor across the batteries will charge it up to a voltage level equal to the batteries' voltage...~3V...no matter how long you leave it. The capacitor must be charged to around 300V to flash the tube. That's why all the circuitry is there...to get the 3V up to 300V.

Ken

 

[HarveyH42]

Go to this site:

https://members.misty.com/don/donflash.html

This is probably the source of information on web. After you read through, you should understand how it works, and have a few ideas on what you will need to get a flash. There are plenty of how-to links as well. You really can't miss.

The disposiable camera suggestion is your best bet for a simple cheap (free) solution. The above site will show you how to modify it for several other uses, even flash automatic (how I found the site). The used cameras are really free. I got a bag of 17, but had to try 4 different stores before success. Also see them often on surplus electronics sites for around $1.00.

The best part of the link provided, they can show you how to build a stobe from mostly scrounged parts, even wind your own trigger transformer. Basically, you can keep asking the same questions here, and get basically the same responses, or go see what the circuits look like, what parts you need and why, what they look like and where to find them. These can give an unpleasant shock, read the warnings on the site and beware.

 

[Blacklemon67]

Where can I buy transformers?

 

[blueroomelectronics]

Digikey.com sells transformers.

You're still better off to go the kit route which will have the correct transformer and other bits as you're going to need all sorts of wee parts, you'll also need the tools to build it.