DON'T THROW OUT THAT LIGHT BULB !!!

[Dragonfly]

NEW in the Dragonfly Gallery....

Projects you can make using the parts from ordinary compact flourescent light bulbs !

When that compact flourescent light bulb of yours burns out, don't throw it away...salvage it ! Compact flourescent bulbs containg transistors, film caps, diodes, resistors, and even a little transformer inside them. These parts can be the basis for a bunch of really cool projects like fuzzes, boosters, and buffers. Not only can you get great tone....you can feel good about recycling as well !

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE LIGHT BULB PROJECTS PAGE !

[andrew_k]

You're insane.

[Dragonfly]

I cant remember who originally mentioned this...I think it was Jack, but may have been RG or one of the other "Big Brains" around here...anyway, they deserve the credit...I'm simply bringing it to the masses ! 

[evilpaul]

Great work mate, I've got a huge smile on my face right now. MacGyver would be proud.

[Dragonfly]

[Sir_Ian]

you forgot something...They also have Mercury inside them.

So just use a little caution. But this also means you can salvage all the mercury into little globs and make handheld mercury mazes with them. My barber had some of these growing up. You got to get the glob of mercury to flow to the center of the maze...kinda fun.

[Dragonfly]

you forgot something...They also have Mercury inside them.

So just use a little caution. But this also means you can salvage all the mercury into little globs and make handheld mercury mazes with them. My barber had some of these growing up. You got to get the glob of mercury to flow to the center of the maze...kinda fun.

Actually, I didnt forget...I mentioned it on the "please read" page in the gallery ...last line...   

But its always good to mention it again.

at least for the "caution" part.


As for the "Mercury Mazes"....I see nothing, nothing....   

[Steben]

For a moment I thought it was all about incandescent.
They tend to behave compressing (non-linear resistance), so I tought: wow the dragon made it DIY!

So I was a tad disappointed, although it's super crazy enough on its own  .

[demonstar]

Brilliant... Just brilliant! 

[Auke Haarsma]

 
Amazing creativity. I've seen the parts in the bulbs before, but never really paid it much attention.

It's just a matter of time before we will see a Valvecaster wit Light Bulb Parts...

[birt]

did you also notice that some of those parts are a little underrated for their purpose in those bulbs? and that production and disposal of these light is not nearly as ecological as with normal incandescents? that all of them have something like "max 50°C" indicated on them and ALL exceed that temperature in about 15 minutes?....

so i am really glad that you make them a little more usefull. ;-)

[Renegadrian]

Andy, what a thing...Never thought you can make guitar fx out of bulbs...
The 13W Overdrive looks like an Electra, Am I wrong? Gotta try those circuits!!! 

[Steben]

did you also notice that some of those parts are a little underrated for their purpose in those bulbs? and that production and disposal of these light is not nearly as ecological as with normal incandescents? that all of them have something like "max 50°C" indicated on them and ALL exceed that temperature in about 15 minutes?....
so i am really glad that you make them a little more usefull. ;-)

Yes, true. It seems however that large CFl bulbs (+15W) actualy save a lot more, as do large fluorescent tubes (electronics are seperate and control large amounts of lamps). This means:

1. If you want to install "savings", go for CFL bulbs of at least 15W - 20W, or try fluor tubes with seperate electronics.
2. the production, disposal and demolition of small CFl bulbs (7W, 5W,...), each with electronics, is probably overshoot like you said. Each lamp costs as much as a 20W one, yet has 3 to 4 times less energysavings in consumption!

For small wattage while still saving, LED's are the better technology or if light quality is important, go for 12V HIR (high efficiency) halogen. As a matter of fact, bulby compact fluorescents already are being questioned in pure economic circles.

[Hanglow]

Good idea 

I had a 20w GE bayonet one that didn't work as one of the bayonets had broken off, so quickly got to work on it



two transistors are DD127D, couldn't find a datasheet on them


68n X2
6n8 X2
1n5 x2
3.3u 400v electro
5X 1n4007 diodes
1 small power resistor
6 carbon film resistors

others - blue diode  ?
transformer
couple of inductors or chokes?


now, whoever is first to reuse the pcb gets extra brownie points

[petemoore]

  So what is the DD127D [three legged jobby in the front of the last pic] ?
  Any thoughts on what a  '2.4mH max' transformer maybe useful for ?

[asfastasdark]

That's genius! I'll make sure my dad doesn't throw out those old bulbs anymore, I'm gonna be making meself a fluo-fuzz! 

[dschwartz]

hmm those inductors really look good for a couple of whas or resonant filters....

i´ve been wondering for a while what if we use 1 or 2mH inductors in wahs, changing the caps values accordingly for the same freq response..

[Hanglow]

  So what is the DD127D [three legged jobby in the front of the last pic] ?
  Any thoughts on what a  '2.4mH max' transformer maybe useful for ?

That is one of the transistors I assume, just a different form to the standard ones

[DougH]

13W overdrive???

[Steben]

13W overdrive???

"made of" .... 13W bulb.  i guess...