World's smallest lightbulb flasher? Flashing Light Prize 2017

TL;DR

A compact incandescent flashing light powered by a small battery and a simple circuit.

Transcript

today on Applied Science I'd like to show you my entry for the 2017 flashing lights prize this is kind of a fun contest where people get to come up with creative and unusual ways to flash an incandescent light bulb so this is my entry and I think it is potentially the smallest self-contained incandescent flashing light ever built it's very small as... Read More

Key Insights

• 🔦 The flashing light is a creative entry for the 2017 flashing lights prize contest.
• 🔋 The circuit is powered by a small SR 416 silver oxide battery and uses a Schmitt trigger inverter.
• 💡 The light bulb used is a miniature tube-shaped incandescent bulb.
• 🔋 Warming up the battery with a heat gun is necessary to deliver enough current to power the light bulb.
• ❓ The circuit components, including the inverter, capacitor, and resistor, are compact and easily attachable.
• 🕰️ Spot welding is used to connect the battery to a piece of magnet wire.
• ✊ The circuit has been tested and characterized using a power supply and oscilloscope.

Questions & Answers

Q: How does this flashing light work?

The circuit uses a Schmitt trigger inverter, a small resistor, and a capacitor. When the circuit is turned on, the capacitor charges and discharges, causing the light bulb to flash on and off.

Q: Why is a heat gun used to warm up the battery?

The battery needs to reach a certain temperature to deliver enough current to power the light bulb. By using a heat gun, the battery is warmed up periodically to maintain the required current flow.

Q: Can the circuit be powered by a regular coin cell battery?

The circuit has been designed to work with a specific type of battery, the SR 416 silver oxide battery. Regular coin cell batteries may not provide enough current for the incandescent light bulb to light up.

Q: How small is the light bulb used in the flashing light?

The light bulb used is extremely small, measuring only 750 microns in diameter. It is typically used in model making and is significantly smaller than even the micro bulbs used by model makers.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• This video showcases the smallest self-contained incandescent flashing light ever built, using a miniature light bulb and a small battery.

• The flashing circuit consists of a Schmitt trigger inverter with a resistor and a capacitor, making it simple and compact.

• The device requires a heat gun to warm up the battery in order to deliver enough current to power the incandescent light bulb.