TV Flyback: finding HV return

If the suction cup lead is included in your resistance measurements, then a high voltage rectifier (several silicon junctions in series) are also included. Your ohm meter probably does not contain a high enough voltage source to forward bias this string of diodes to indicate approximate coil resistance. Add a couple 9 volt batteries connected together in series and use the milliamp meter to find out which low voltage winding is also connected to the high voltage output (positive) lead. You will need to connect the negative side of the battery to the the suction cup to forward bias the rectifier, since it is designed to produce a positive output voltage (and block it from going back into the coil).

Unfortunately for you, PMTs need a high negative voltage with respect to the near ground output. So you will either have to find a flyback that has a diode that can be reversed, or has the diode external to the flyback transformer (rare these days).

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John Popelish
Reply to
John Popelish
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I am after high voltage (for photomultiplier tubes) and considering use of TV flyback transformers. I have a couple, including some "known good" specimens that were extracted from working TVs.

I am able to find windings (2 sets, I suspect) on the base pins that certainly must be 2 primary coils. Using an Ohm meter and checking both polarities, I do not find a return for the high voltage output (red with suction cup), or the two ouput wires coming from the side that I suspect are somewhat lower HV (horizontal and vertical control, 10 kV ???).

Is there some nice trick to identify the HV return, or should I try to see where I can generate a sparc from the remaining pins that are not primary leads? Should this return be common to all three HV outputs? As I mention, I want to power PMTs, so even 10 kV is escessive for my needs.

Dominic

Reply to
Dominic-Luc Webb

Hi John,

Thanks for the info and I will look into this. You are of course correct about the negative voltage, especially when it comes to classic PMTs like RCA 1P21, 931A and 931B used in astrophotometry. However, there are some that use positive voltage. I never investigated these because they were not quite right for the UVBRI measurement system commonly used in astronomy. In the present case, I will indeed have to end up with negative voltage.

For the moment, I am exploring the use of flybacks to generate the needed voltage via my 555 timer circuit. For the moment, it is a learning exercise to see how well if I can get good coupling, what frequency, etc. I have access to quite old flybacks, so I suspect I can escape the diode problem.

Dominic

Reply to
Dominic-Luc Webb

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