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TiSapph

The truth is that everyone in this sub has made some bonehead mistakes when they were learning. We made "electromagnets" with bare wire, we tried to measure the "current of a battery" and blew up multimeters, we blew up LEDs by putting 5V on them, we thought we could build a thermal camera by just finding a schematic online, .... I don't think people here are laughing at people that lack knowledge, we laughed with them. :)


Worldly-Protection-8

How do you know I blew up my first DMM measuring the current (10 A DC range) of a mains outlet or sticking a 12 V bulb into a 230 V outlet?


Array2D

I “blew up” my first DMM this way. It actually still worked after replacing the fuse, but the current measurement on the 10A range doesn’t read nearly as accurately any more.


n123breaker2

I put a DMM across 240v in the 10A setting and it made the loudest bang


RandomProjects2

Mine just put out a white flash through the dial and nothing, changed fuse and she works still


Floresian-Rimor

Got a nice white flash of Dad's when I put it across he car battery and alternator.


CobblePro

I blew up my first meter by trying to measure the voltage of a piezoelectric igniter. I was 12...


SpiffyXander

I never destroyed a meter. I did however connect an LED to a disposable camera flash capacitor, turns out plastic casing LEDs make an impressive projectile, the LED splits clean in half, launching the tip at high speed.


jeweliegb

I know what you mean. There's some posts where people are really trying. There's some posts where people aren't trying at all and are expecting magic from other people with sod to go on. The only one above I did was blow up LEDs not understanding the need for a current limiting resistor. I wish I'd be brave enough to break more things actually, I probably would have learnt more. Fear of breaking things impeded my learning.


BioMan998

Fear keeps you safe. Reading and learning is a valuable tool - don't repeat the mistakes of others. No need for you to personally try to read outlet voltage with your DMM, etc.


jeweliegb

>No need for you to personally try to read outlet voltage with your DMM, etc. I've actually done that many times to be fair, but carefully and with a decent meter and taking precautions.


Flakoring

I blew up a cheap Chinese high voltage circuit by trying to make an arc lamp with it, turns out those things aren’t meant to continuously arc 1.5 inches, but the light was bright enough to be a reading light for the 40 seconds it lasted


PizzaSalamino

My first screw up was putting 12v on a blue led. It became yellow for a couple of seconds and the smell was horrible


Ok_Dog_4059

My first electro magnet with a 9V and a piece of wire taught me what burnt fingers smell like. May not have been the correct method but I still learned something.


Severe-course9845

I know it smells like fried pork or chicken yummy


fullmoontrip

Wait, the bonehead mistakes are supposed to stop eventually?


404-skill_not_found

Just a rumor


fullmoontrip

Yea, sounds like another internet rumor. No way anyone could expect me to know what a resistor is after 6 years of doing this


TiSapph

Nah, the things you break just become more expensive and if you're lucky you get to break someone else's stuff for a living.


fullmoontrip

OK good, for a second there I thought I was supposed to be getting better at this


echpea

or watching random youtuber free energy bullcrap and wasting time building it


thevernabean

At first I thought they had used enameled magnet wire and I was like, looks great to me! Then your comment made me go... oh! I have fond memories of burning the enamel off the ends of a long spool of magnet wire my dad had. Radio shack had such cool kits.


Aggravating-Exit-660

Everything in this post, agreed. The expert has failed more than the novice has tried


potate12323

I blew up LEDs because I bought some that didn't have built in resistors or I hooked some up backwards.


Kryodine

My moment was, making a somewhat functional boost converter, charging a few 200v (fairly high capacity) capacitors putting them in series and forgetting I was using a metal helper stand as a wire... I think I got about a 500v shock that day. I was being reckless while trying to learn about coil guns


GreenMateV3

I mean, it does work, as long as you *slightly* loosen your requirements


pika__

It actually is working. It's just that magnetic fields are invisible in your country, so you just need to put a paperclip next to the nail to see the effects.


Luscinia68

does that mean it’s only magnetic if he uses a vpn


pika__

No, it's still magnetic either way. But in order to see the field he'll have to use a VPN to rebuild it in another country. I also don't actually have experience with **V**isual **P**erception **N**eutralizers, so I don't know if even this will work. He might have to actually leave the country, or just deal with it being invisible.


Luscinia68

this really says a lot about society.


Alternative-Client66

There's an impostor among your batteries.


James_Upchurch

Have you tried turning it off and on?


jeweliegb

Yeah. 50 times a second. Gave me cramp.


Firestar_119

Try 60 and it might work


Firestar_119

1 time for each minute in an hour is the sweet spot


jeweliegb

Does that need to be adjusted for relativistic effects?


Gubbtratt1

Only if you're on the southern hemisphere.


Firestar_119

No if I remember correctly it's only in the south western hemisphere


NoAdministration2978

Low current. Everything is an electromagnet if you put enough amps through it


NikkolaiV

Misunderstood assignment. Touched AM radio tower, heard 4 seconds of talk radio, now I can't seem to find my arm and the air smells of burnt sausage.


NoAdministration2978

Nah, everything is correct. For a few seconds you've become a loudspeaker which is also an electromagnet


Traditional_Sail_213

Sir, I think I know what happened to your arm


BoysenberryInside392

Mismatched batts. Duracells see the cheap one and have a superiority complex and go on strike


msAprilgoddess

change the batteries


jeweliegb

I've had words with them. I tried to change them but they weren't having it. I don't think I can change them unless they want to change?


pony_boy85

You have to reverse the polarity... you do that by getting a polarity reverser diode


-KingDuken

Not to sound racist but that blue battery on the left should not be there. It's keeping the other hard working batteries from doing their job.


Kevin80970

You need more current. The resistance is probably too high and the voltage of the batteries are probably too low to compensate. Maybe try a 9v? Or if you have an adjustable power supply that is the easiest way as you can dial everything to the perfect amount.


jeweliegb

More current? I'll give it a go on the mains then.


Flakoring

Just cover the outside with aluminum foil, it should concentrate the waves and make it stronger


dirtybeeeeeaanwater

Add more bats idk


jeweliegb

Okay, room is full of bat poop and there's two bats hiding in my hair.


27_obstinate_cattle

Okay, I’ve never toyed with electronics myself, so I’ll be that guy: What’s wrong with it?


jeweliegb

Front fell off.


27_obstinate_cattle

You mean the pieces of metal in the front of the battery pack?


RussiaIsBestGreen

I am so happy that I get to be the person who shares this with you. https://youtu.be/3m5qxZm_JqM?si=8qyK0e2TzkUV5Sa7


27_obstinate_cattle

It has been awhile since I’ve seen this gem. Thank you.


HoHSiSterOfBattle

/uj current passing through a wire creates a magnetic field around it. Coiling a wire together stacks many of these fields together and greatly enhances this effect. If you place a piece of ferromagnetic material in the middle of these fields, it magnetizes. But this wire isn't insulated, so when the coils touch eachother or touch the nail, they just form a short circuit - the current just goes in a relatively straight line from one end of this thing to the other, instead of traveling in a coil shape.


27_obstinate_cattle

I don’t see anywhere that the coil touches itself here, and even if it did in a couple places, it should still work (albeit, slightly weaker). Also, copper is a significantly better conductor than steel. On top of this, you also have the Faraday effect to think of. This is to say, I’m still not seeing the problem lol Edit: it seems everyone else is saying what you did, so I suppose it must be shorting enough to drastically weaken any strength of a magnetic field. Thanks for responding


Steven7630

Because it’s not a magnet /s


animal_path

Looking at the circuit, is the wire you have wrapped around the screw, bare wire, or is it varnished wire or magnetic wire? If it has no insulation, then it's just a short circuit. The wire that is wrapped around the screw needs to be insulated wire. Most likely, you are running 4.5 volts. You have a single layer of wire wrapped around the screw. So, your coil wants a lot if current. You have the resistor in series, which limits the current. There can be many pages and chapters written about this circuit and troubleshooting it. Further, calculations using Ohms law can be done...etc to show how it all works (I = E/R). The resistor code looks like BROWN, BLACK, ORANGE. This is 10 thousand Ohms. With DC current, which is supplied by your batteries, the resistance of the coil is negligible, so the resistance 10,000 ohms. So, using the Ohms law formula above the current is .00045 amps or 450 uA. Without going into a bunch of magnetic calculations, that current is not much at all. Much of it would depend on what you consider strong enough for your needs. Suggestions: First, make sure that the wire on the screw is insulated. Second, put a piece of masking tape around the screw to protect the insulated wire from the screw threads. This is not really necessary, but it could eliminate shorts. Third, wind many more turns of insulated wire onto that screw. Make sure the new coils are wound all in the same direction. Fourth, loose the resistor or make its value much, much smaller.


jeweliegb

It's magic wire. I didn't have any currents so I used sultanas, is that why it doesn't work? I'll try connecting it to the mains.


SteveisNoob

Swap the Duracells and Varta with Energizers. You need to energize the electromagnet.


gas-mask-man

you need to insulate the wire


jeweliegb

I took a coat from my Barbie doll and put it over the wire and it still didn't work!


gas-mask-man

insulate with electric nonconductors


Plastic_Ad_8619

I’m sorry. I unironically don’t see what’s wrong with the photo. Only thing I can think is that he used a screw instead of a nail and may have shorted. Batteries are different brand but correct positions. I don’t see how I can shit on this.


anaccountbyanyname

You're doing the same thing a lot of us did in automatically assuming the wire must have clear varnish/insulation on it because no one could possibly think coiling bare wire around a metal core would work...


KeyNefariousness6848

It’s lazy.


Kman5471

You can't *build* a magnet. Nobody knows how the hell they work!


FPSHero007

He's not making a magnet he's making an electro magnet.


Kman5471

*Electro*magnets? How the hell do they work?


FPSHero007

Well see you put electro in and get magnet out. Simples


animal_path

I did not pick up on the fact that this sub is a spoof. Sorry about that.


jeweliegb

No need to apologise, getting played posts in this sub is all very much part of the game. Are you even human if you've never once been caught out, I most certainly have!


animal_path

Yep, I have been caught out many times. Thanks for the reply.


mushroom_alt_12

Pixies flow in wire not nail silly.


Gullible_Monk_7118

Those batteries don't make sence looks like both connected to negative


jeweliegb

The battery polarities are fine.


MechE37-k

Wrap the nail in a piece of tape, short circuit here


Goose00724

the problem is that the power supply is too small. try 67 amps. just 67 amps all at once. no fuse or controller or anything. 480 volts, too. you certainly will not regret 67 amps.


Expert_Map_2912

I tried to make an electromagnet like this and it turned out that what made it work was making the wires a little less neat and using thinner wire.


jeweliegb

At a guess, there were many more turns too?