Its exactly because you are a newbie that everyone is suggesting neon lamps.
Don't get me wrong I encourage learning, but this is a potentially dangerous project to start off on. Unless you use a isolation transformer (and i suspect you wont due to complexity and size) you are talking about a mains connected circuit without a proper understanding of electrical safety and component failure modes. You could hurt yourself on this endeavor, but to be honest that's not what I'm concerned about. If you hurt yourself well that's your own fault but the set up you suggest could be used by a layman (general person) and hurt them and that's far more concerning.
If you want to learn I suggest getting a 230V to 12 or 24Vac step down transformer and fast blow low current <<1A ouput fuse. This will let you create practice circuits and develop understanding while not endangering yourself or anyone else.
If you want a quick solution which is quick and for the most part safe (not completely because the neon could have exposed wires if your enclosure isn't very good or not grounded correctly), then just buy a neon.
Again i just want to say i encourage learning and if you're proceeding safely I'm sure we'll all be happy to help guide you. But main's voltage is not something a "electronics newbie" should be playing with and its certainly not suitable for just lifting a circuit off a forum without deep understanding of what you are doing.
Misterbenn,
I appreciate the concern for safety expressed in your post #13 and fully agree.
Unfortunately, I allowed myself to get in too much of a hurry when designing /making the Portable Outlet Box and knew better at the time, but went ahead and used a 2-wire lamp cord with no ground wire. That was a mistake and probably what "spooked" you and others when viewing my circuit sketch......and justifiably so. Then when I admitted to being a newbie in a subsequent post, that was the "clincher" ! However, let me explain. While I am a newbie to
electronics, I am no stranger to the basic fundamentals and safety requirements when working with electricity. I hope the following will help to raise your confidence in my knowledge when working with electricity.
As for the circuit sketch attached to my starter post, I am going to re-design that circuit to use a different power cord that includes an earth (green colored) ground wire for attachment to the duplex outlet metal frame (normally not current-carrying unless there is a fault) and plug with ground tang. Also, since I'm using a plastic receptacle box and cover plate, even if a short happens inside the box no current can reach a human hand or other material touching the box, anymore than would a store-bought outlet bar with plastic enclosure.
I am age 74 and have been interested in science and electrical projects in particular from an early age. In 1970, at age 29 , with full-time employment, owning a home and raising children, I decided to take a home-study course in electricity and appliance repair offered by the National Radio Institute in Washington, DC. Finances were tight and this allowed me to save money doing my own electrical repairs on small and large appliances, adding simple electric circuits for lights and outlets, replacing faulty wall switches and the list goes on.
The NRI course of study included atomic theory and building my own VOM from a kit that required solder connections for analog Volt-Ohm and Amp meters, resistors, potentiometer and many other components too numerous to list here. This VOM is still working today and I use it once in a while, but normally use a modern DMM. I also have several soldering irons of various wattages acquired over the years and a Hakko Digital Soldering Station FX-888D purchased more recently with a matching Soldering Iron FX-8801 for more precise control when soldering tiny electronic components arranged close together on a PCB.
Returning to my early years, after completing the NRI course, one of my first serious endeavors was to design and install a complete electrical system for my father's barn after it was built. This included a breaker panel, electrical outlets, toggle switches and ceiling lights in several sections of the barn. There was never a problem with that system.
On two other occasions I helped my mother and later a neighbor when their refrigerators failed to run. I built a tester (circuit from NRI course book) to by-pass the magnetic relay switch and see if the compressor could be jump-started and when the compressors did start in both cases, I installed a new magnetic relay switch.....voila !......that put them back in business ! The satisfaction of using my knowledge to help others was payment enough !
In my desire to learn about electronics, I have learned much from Internet websites and have purchased several electronics tutorial books online. Two of these that stand out IMO are listed below.
- Getting Started in Electronics, by author Forrest M. Mims III
- Make: Electronics, Learning by Discovery, by author Charles Platt
The "Make" book helps students to learn, with knowledge and forethought of course, by deliberately causing component failures. A novel approach IMO !
To conclude, I hope you and others are now more inclined to freely pass-along information to help me advance and complete my electronics projects. If I don't understand something, I'll admit it and not proceed with "hands-on" work until I do.
I still want to use the red LED described in my starter-post, with appropriate resistor and diode components and if you now agree, would appreciate answers to the questions requested in my following paragraph (copied, pasted and colored here for your reference).
I want to incorporate a diode(s) in the circuit, not only to convert AC to DC voltage for the LED, but to protect it from the possibility of reverse voltages. Should I use low volt & current "Signal" diode(s), rectifier diode(s), or a bridge rectifier, etc. ? Also, what diode number would that be ?
Thanks very much !
ToddB74