Can we move the base and so that the levitating top also moves/fly along with it? I mean if we move the base to a certain distance say d metres, will the levitating top go along with it keeping the magnetic equilibrium?
He does make a valid point though... I'm from Canada and we almoat exclusively use type A plugs (110v, 20A). We also got NEMA plugs, but you basically never see them. They look a lot like the Australian plugs except the prongs usually are all vertical, oh ya and they are used for rather high power appliances (220v at 60A is the highest available in my area). Kinda threw me through a loop when he held up his Australian plug like It was no big deal... I got buddies who will flip the breaker before unugging one 🤣. Compare that with UK plugs.... honestly I'd be scared to use UK plugs for fear of breaking them.
It's a proper Euro>UK adapter sold here in the UK and it does have a proper fuse inside. It's not like the deathdapters that bigclive uses from time to time.
LOL well this one it the narrow kind of that plug (no idea what it's called) but as one here already said, in normal sockets the diamond shaped plastic outline around the pins fits between plastic pegs (slots) in the socket. However there are also non-earthed sockets in my 70s home and they are having a flat surface meaning only the pins enter the socket but I can't say plugs with 'heavy' adapters directly on them are easily falling out of those as well (my own experience)
For low power devices, the Bell and Lee shrouded mini 3 pin plug is the best. It's smaller than even the USA styled two pin plugs. At work we use these for use with test gear leads that plug into panel mounted sockets. But is not permitted on a ring main circuit, due to having no fuse and due to it's low current rating. If you want a smaller plug that is legal in the U.K., use a U.K. 5A round pin plug. Wall socket plates are available, as are adaptors for use with our 13A sockets. Note that wall sockets would have to be fed via a fused spur or via a dedicated radial circuit with a 6A MCB or 5A fuse.
I have a levitating globe on my bookshelf with the base unit hidden inside a book. It also rotates and everyone notices it and does a double take. It doesn't have the LEDs and can be tricky to get balanced, so I keep it plugged into my computers UPS so I don't have to fight with it every time I have a little power glitch.
Only people in the UK are convinced that their behemoth franken-plug is the best there is. Euro plugs are as safe yet much more ergonomic and elegant than your brick.
Ooof. I'm sorry @Randall Chamberlain but thems fighting words round here! Oh, and it isn't "Your Brick"… it's "The Original Brick" #ThankYouVeryMuchIndeed :-)
Most people don't know how magnets work Julian. About 25 years ago I was working for Patent Attorneys and one of their clients had invented a motor which was claimed to derive its power from permanent magnets. The inventor was having difficulty producing a working prototype because the bugs hadn't been worked out, yet... I may have said something about permanent magnets not working like that, and the client's solicitor (who was present as an investor) said something like "It might. No-one understands magnets anyway..."
Its wobbly because you have the wrong adapter or an old adapter. All our Eu adapters that we brought last year work fine but the older one are wobbler then a polititions promises.
The pots are adjusting the stability of the field, you can see it start spinning CW and CCW as you adjust the first one and the second one looks like it's to compensate for oscillation.
Yeah, I couldn't figure out the second one, but the first pot was clearly causing the magnet to rotate one direction and then the other as Julian fiddled with it.
makes sense. at first i thought it might have been a buck converter for powering the windings, but it reminds me of old gyros for 3D RC helicopters.. looks to be controlling the field axis
No, actually its for adjusting pull direction of the suspended magnet. For example when you turn one pot it will pull more to one side. I have almost identical kit, except it was a DIY kit i soldered together. The coils, pots, the big ring magnet etc is identical. And in the instructions thats what the pots do. No idea why it doesnt do anything for this guy though. Here are the instructions, scroll to bottom to see about the adjustment: s000.tinyupload.com/index.php?file_id=26748642999247571190
I have this too, but i built it from a DIY kit. The 2 pots are for adjusting magnet pull direction, so if you increase one of them one magnet will pull more in one direction. Strange how yours didnt do much though
I counted about 42 comments on the plug, the, insignificant and unimportant part of Julian's presentation. He is examining something relatively complex, important and useful to us all. Some may view the unit as a toy but there is much to be learned from this design. For example (1) What is the function of the large ring magnet? (2) Why is the suspended magnet oriented so it is attracted to the ring magnet? (3) When the suspended magnet is in a balanced position, what type of circuit is used to drive the 4 LEDs? (4) For what is the CD4066 analog switch used? (5) Julian did not mention finding 4 hall sensors near the top of the electromagnets, what tells the circuit where the suspended magnet is located? (6) What are the 2 multiturn potentiometers used for? (7) There are 8 transistors, how are they used to drive the coils? (8) What are the 4 little circuit boards in the center of the device used for? (9) What is a 4419 and how is it used? (10) How many turns are there in each electromagnet? (11) How much current is used to drive each one? (12 Why is audio generated when Julian forces the suspended magnet downward toward the coils? (13) How much current is used to lift the incredible weight (for this small circuit) of about 500 grams (USA: 1/2 pound)? Come, let us reason on these questions...........
The pins in that europlug are only designed for 2.5A. Otherwise it would be a full Schuko, round instead of flat. Schuko's can be used with any Earthing system, since we've got multiple plug/socket types across Europe, which all comes back in the universal Schuko. A europlug takes less space in a powerstrip then a Schuko. The europlug is commonly used around Europe for phone chargers, trimmers, kitchen appliances, etc. And your magnetic levitation device. In my opinion the British plug is just odd. It's quite incapable of being waterproof! A Schuko can be made waterproof (due specially designed plugs/sockets, mostly for garden use), due that the Schuko plug is round, and lays recessed in the socket (compared to a flat surface of the UK). How does that work in the UK? We'd also use CEE plugs (16/32A single phase, blue. 16/32/63A/125A three phase, red) which are at least IP44 and at best IP68. Are those also used in the UK? The wobbliness is your converter! Plug war started! ;-) -------- On topic: Can you power a led from the magnetic fields? To levitate a powered led?
BellPhreak Our ingress protected / weather protected / outside sockets take normal UK 13A plugs. Yes in industrial applications CEE connectors are used. Especially yellow plugs and sockets for building and portable power applications. The Wikipedia entry even mentions the BS standard (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEC_60309).
What I would use a gadget like this for would be to create a prop for theater. A rotating, levitating cup for a musical called Matilda in particular. At least this is my first thought on how to do it! LOL
It's using peaces of induction creatively. The disk it came with is probably they key. Not just a magnet but also aluminum for lens law allowing for the feed back info. Through the induction coils. My guess.
I would like to see you explore the pole patterns on the ring magnet and puck. I predict the ring magnet is either a standard speaker magnet (one pole on each flat side) or one pole on the inner and one on the outer circumference. I suspect the puck is actually a stack of two neodymium magnets, but I don't have a prediction of its pole pattern. It would also be interesting to see what an eddy current filter (say, copper clad board), under the magnet would do to the feedback response.
No wobbles when the plug is in a socket thats designed to use with one, not an adapter that takes usa, japan and indochinamenistan plugs. I had a cellphone charger, wallwart, from a Samsung, w it h that exact plug, it got hit by a foot while plugged in and the case broke, not the pins of the plug. And the case was thick plastic as well..
I have documentation on reverse engineering this particular board if anyone interested. I didn't see much interest initially so it never went anywhere. Those transistors are 1/2 MOSFETs and 1/2 BJTs forming half bridges. The whole thing is an analog control system anyone can do which I found pretty interesting.
The multi turn trim pots might be to adjust the transistor bias currents. Just playing with them might not be the best idea unless you are precisely counting the turns. Use a regular screwdriver so you can see the exact head position as you turn them. I would also use an ammeter to watch the input current. Some basic track tracing might indicate their use.
Have you seen any videos from Eric Laitwathe? He was a UK prof. of electrical engineering who did a large scale version of this levitating a great sphere, in his 1960s/70s video about electromagnetism.
@12:36 There are Hall effect sensor for the 3 axis XYZ. If it works correct then it means you can tilt the device without the lev. magnet geting out off alignement.
I would put a heat sink on those transistors so they last longer. Just a strip of Aluminium with some thermal grease applied in between it. Either spring load it with clips on the edge of the pcb or glue it with superglue/T-8000. I am curious about the schematic also. There is a DIY assemble kit for about $30 on Ebay, I bet that would include the schematic and explain more about the trim pots purpose.
I'm fairly certain this works with out the unit being powered on. Did you try that? The reason I say that, is that I've seen a number of videos where people take a ring magnet like the one in the unit and then build a spinning top. The spinning top is loaded with weights until its able to balance like the little floating top you have. They have spun their top probably to help average out any inbalance in the top.
It’s is because you don’t have the power plug onthat stile its is safer then most plugs avoid you take shocks if you are a kid and try to plug things to the plug that model protects it
I just received one of these. I can't get the magnetic disc to balance. It worked randomly a couple of times, now it just throws the magnet off. I can't get it to balance at all. I've tried adjusting the pots with varying degrees of change to the pull strength etc. Any ideas before I toss it in the trash ?
How much power does that thing draw. It would be a cool display case, but if it draws an amp that would be a bit unnecessary. With as much heat as it is putting out, I can't imagine it is a small amount.
Yes, the small sensor at the top is Hall Effect. It's using a closed loop system to 'correct' the voltage passing through the electro magnets. Edit: The screws should be the adjustment for the hall effect sensor
So many unanswered questions for such a neat gadget :( How much current does the platform draw, and how does the power consumption change with the weight of the levitated object? How does the voltage waveform on the LEDs look like? Or on the input plug?
The power draw is very litle when its just standing and rotating under a few hundred milliamps, its so little thta my QD188 power bank kicks off if I haven't set it to not turn off automatic, as its thinks there is no load. but the moment you put pressure on the plateau the power increases massively, on my power bank I saw spikes up around 1.6amp when i tried to place items on it or put some pressure down on it, most of the time it was around 0.6amp., but when its just standing and rotating with an item on it its very little and only a few hundred miliamp.. you can see the power bank display shows cero here in amps, and thats when its under 0.2amp... i.imgur.com/c9msNED.mp4
UK plug is large and clunky also due to it holding the fuse in it, rest of EU has very good grid system, way better then the one in US... Also the plug wobles as its inserted into cheap multi plug adapter..
Fridge magnets won't work, they are made with alternate strips of north/south poles next to each other, put 2 back to back and slide them (thanks to steve mould) is that a hall effect sensor or a temp sensor ?
Hi. Unfortunately the “this is a plug” plug you showed at 1:26 is not a plug that should be used either. If you look at the three pins you’ll notice that the L and N pins are half insulated (in line with IEE regs and CE etc). The problem is that the Ground or Earth pin is also half insulated. In a UK socket the Earth pin is used to move the gates on the L and N slots. The connection from the Earth pin to the socket is very close to the front of the socket hole, whereas the L and N connections are further back behind the screens. When you plug in he type of plug you showed, initially the Earth pin makes contact with the socket but as you push it further in the insulated part of the Earth pin comes into contact with the socket and the uninsulated tip of the Earth pin breaks contact. Please check this for yourself. Just measure between the Earth pin and the socket Earth connection. You’ll find continuity at first but as the plug is pushed fully home the Earth pin becomes disconnected. I just throw those power leads away. You think you’re grounded but you’re not. Too dangerous for my liking. Cheers NOSS
Julian, thanks for examining a very interesting device. The D882 is a 3 amp NPN and the B772 is the PNP complement.I plan to use complementary mosfets in a levitator design.
The pots seem to control the strength of two toroidial fields. One clockwise, the other anti/counter clockwise ! Slick little gadget !! So, what field/effect happens from the bottom ?
The trouble with this is that if you allow the floating magnet to sit on the base off center, it permanently partially demagnetizes the ferrite magnet in the base, ruining the device.
So if it falls from its magnetic field and you aren't around will it get really hot ??? I mean I don't pa ln on leaving it but lets say it happens . Should that be a concern ??
I have an question sicne many many years !!! can you lift up yourself ? what does it happen,if Your plate over the E Magnet lifts up.. but the plate muss be longer to the downide as your mashine is..with an magnet on it ... NOW put an magnet under your mashine And starts your mashine... can it fly ????
Had one of these bought as a present. Worked at first but after turning off, I could not obtain levitation again on restarting, despite a long time trying. I obtained a replacement and exactly the same thing happened. I took it apart and two of the four coils were loose. I tightened them up but it made no difference. Mine does not have the LEDs that help with centering. Don't know what else to try and it could be heading for the bin!
I bought this exact model from the description link and its not capable of handling half a kilo at all. I barely was able to put 200g on top. Anything more than that is heavier than the magnet + field and the magnet falls on the platform. I am not sure why on the video it shows 500g. Am I doing something wrong? Maybe not enough power supply? Also, leds are not sensitive to the magnet and the opacity does not change. They are just on.
Hi Julian, you might want to make a video with the Arduino and the AD9850 - but not for sound but for radio amateur as a goal a video about how you put it together and program it? greetings from the Netherlands! Rob.
We know there are permanent magnets, electromagnets and a feedback loop, but how does it actually work? I would have been nice if you explained that in the video.
is there another you know of that is under $100 that is just a basic platform that is better or floats higher? I didn't know it but apparently i already am subscribed to you ha
You can only get power from a moving magnetic field. However, you can add an inductive coil like used in wireless charging systems and get power to the floating object. There are lighted floating globes that do just that.
sure,, allready numerous products where you have LEDs or LED filaments in the floating item that lights up. www.aliexpress.com/item/2018-NEW-Magnetic-Levitating-Light-Bulb-Desk-Wood-Grain-Floating-Lamp-Unique-Gift-Home-Office-Room/32856830384.html?
Mine worked great for a couple of months then one day it just slammed down and now it won’t work. I would buy another one if it lasted longer. It must have overheated from leaving it on for a couple of days.
When you said "metal case", i was thinking "really? looks like metalized plastic to me!", no idea how you could actually mistake it for metal after touching and holding it, that stuff feels so cheap and chincy in my experience...
Geniusaur Really? The metal feeling when touching it is unmistakable. Plastic is an insulator and won’t conduct heat, so it feels like it isn’t very cold. But metals are very good heat conductors (because of free electrons, which also happens to be the reason why they conduct electricity), so it feels cold even if painted.
some polymers are conductive ... but typically you would put a resin based finish on a metal (ie plastic) and these plastics are designed to feel like metal and usually have some kind of conductive filler material in the finish.. leading to a middle ground where one can feel like the other. yes i could tell you in a heartbeat that that tatty shite that was made in china is going to be a polymer, mostly because you cant cast metal like that for cheap.l.
![Megan Thee Stallion - Roc Steady (feat. Flo Milli) [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/HozPPyqW0dY/mqdefault.jpg)
Interested in my new garden workshop? Follow the entire build on Julian's Shednanigans:
ruclips.net/channel/UCXfDjPehpC7B7lW2JFxeS4w
Ok!
Can we move the base and so that the levitating top also moves/fly along with it? I mean if we move the base to a certain distance say d metres, will the levitating top go along with it keeping the magnetic equilibrium?
in europe not everything is plugged into a dollar store "shavers only" adaptor though
Sometimes he does make himself look a little silly.
I suppose he does it in purpose to stir up a bit of "outraged" comments and have a giggle :)
maurizio figini You can get proper adaptors, like this one: hobbycomponents.com/2546-thickbox_default/euro-to-uk-plug-adapter.jpg
@@Mark1024MAK My impression was that it was his adapter that was providing the wobble rather than the plug...
He does make a valid point though... I'm from Canada and we almoat exclusively use type A plugs (110v, 20A). We also got NEMA plugs, but you basically never see them. They look a lot like the Australian plugs except the prongs usually are all vertical, oh ya and they are used for rather high power appliances (220v at 60A is the highest available in my area).
Kinda threw me through a loop when he held up his Australian plug like It was no big deal... I got buddies who will flip the breaker before unugging one 🤣. Compare that with UK plugs.... honestly I'd be scared to use UK plugs for fear of breaking them.
The plug is wobbly because your power socket is not recessed, Julian 😑
Yes. Cheap adapter. Possibly the "FUSED" note is even not the truth. I bet this cheap thing is not fused at all.
I did manage to break a 2 pin plug, but it was unplugged, they are quite hard to break when they are in a socket
Indeed, plug it in an proper european socket and no worries.
It's a proper Euro>UK adapter sold here in the UK and it does have a proper fuse inside. It's not like the deathdapters that bigclive uses from time to time.
you're right. uk plugs are a nightmare though
Julian the noddyness is due to the plug converter. The normal EU sockets hold the plug very well
In truth I'm a big fan of the Schuko plug. I like it even more than our UK plug.
LOL well this one it the narrow kind of that plug (no idea what it's called) but as one here already said, in normal sockets the diamond shaped plastic outline around the pins fits between plastic pegs (slots) in the socket. However there are also non-earthed sockets in my 70s home and they are having a flat surface meaning only the pins enter the socket but I can't say plugs with 'heavy' adapters directly on them are easily falling out of those as well (my own experience)
For low power devices, the Bell and Lee shrouded mini 3 pin plug is the best. It's smaller than even the USA styled two pin plugs. At work we use these for use with test gear leads that plug into panel mounted sockets. But is not permitted on a ring main circuit, due to having no fuse and due to it's low current rating.
If you want a smaller plug that is legal in the U.K., use a U.K. 5A round pin plug. Wall socket plates are available, as are adaptors for use with our 13A sockets. Note that wall sockets would have to be fed via a fused spur or via a dedicated radial circuit with a 6A MCB or 5A fuse.
Comment section:
99% Talking about plugs
1% ect.
et cetera. Not ec tetera. It's freakin etc. Not ect.
I have a levitating globe on my bookshelf with the base unit hidden inside a book. It also rotates and everyone notices it and does a double take. It doesn't have the LEDs and can be tricky to get balanced, so I keep it plugged into my computers UPS so I don't have to fight with it every time I have a little power glitch.
Price?
Only people in the UK are convinced that their behemoth franken-plug is the best there is. Euro plugs are as safe yet much more ergonomic and elegant than your brick.
Unfortunately, the euro plugs lack a fuse and the sockets lack adaptability. I have never seen combined UBS sockets in Europe.
Ooof. I'm sorry @Randall Chamberlain but thems fighting words round here! Oh, and it isn't "Your Brick"… it's "The Original Brick" #ThankYouVeryMuchIndeed :-)
Most people don't know how magnets work Julian. About 25 years ago I was working for Patent Attorneys and one of their clients had invented a motor which was claimed to derive its power from permanent magnets.
The inventor was having difficulty producing a working prototype because the bugs hadn't been worked out, yet...
I may have said something about permanent magnets not working like that, and the client's solicitor (who was present as an investor) said something like "It might. No-one understands magnets anyway..."
Its wobbly because you have the wrong adapter or an old adapter.
All our Eu adapters that we brought last year work fine but the older one are wobbler then a polititions promises.
"Wobbler"....sounds like a Batman villain
LM324, LM358, 4066 - amazing that these 40 year old ICs are still in common use!
The pots are adjusting the stability of the field, you can see it start spinning CW and CCW as you adjust the first one and the second one looks like it's to compensate for oscillation.
Yeah, I couldn't figure out the second one, but the first pot was clearly causing the magnet to rotate one direction and then the other as Julian fiddled with it.
makes sense. at first i thought it might have been a buck converter for powering the windings, but it reminds me of old gyros for 3D RC helicopters.. looks to be controlling the field axis
No, actually its for adjusting pull direction of the suspended magnet. For example when you turn one pot it will pull more to one side. I have almost identical kit, except it was a DIY kit i soldered together. The coils, pots, the big ring magnet etc is identical. And in the instructions thats what the pots do. No idea why it doesnt do anything for this guy though. Here are the instructions, scroll to bottom to see about the adjustment: s000.tinyupload.com/index.php?file_id=26748642999247571190
It doesnt start spinning CW and CCW as hes turning, it spins both ways regardless, cant you see its spinning both ways before he touches pots?
The pots might not be connected to anything, since when you have tuned it correctly theres no reason to touch the pots again
I have this too, but i built it from a DIY kit. The 2 pots are for adjusting magnet pull direction, so if you increase one of them one magnet will pull more in one direction. Strange how yours didnt do much though
THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!!! ~ Jean-Luc Picard
Epic, nice one!
Another star trek fan
FINALLY YAAAAY
it`s a cheap plug the plugs we use in the netherlands are not wobbly have a nice weekend
3 points are more stable than two
"Oooh I don't want to whack these unprotected switched on coils." Proceeds to whack them.
these are powered by goats, you can hear them when adjusting the position
I counted about 42 comments on the plug, the, insignificant and unimportant part of Julian's presentation. He is examining something relatively complex, important and useful to us all. Some may view the unit as a toy but there is much to be learned from this design. For example (1) What is the function of the large ring magnet? (2) Why is the suspended magnet oriented so it is attracted to the ring magnet? (3) When the suspended magnet is in a balanced position, what type of circuit is used to drive the 4 LEDs? (4) For what is the CD4066 analog switch used? (5) Julian did not mention finding 4 hall sensors near the top of the electromagnets, what tells the circuit where the suspended magnet is located? (6) What are the 2 multiturn potentiometers used for? (7) There are 8 transistors, how are they used to drive the coils? (8) What are the 4 little circuit boards in the center of the device used for? (9) What is a 4419 and how is it used? (10) How many turns are there in each electromagnet? (11) How much current is used to drive each one? (12 Why is audio generated when Julian forces the suspended magnet downward toward the coils? (13) How much current is used to lift the incredible weight (for this small circuit) of about 500 grams (USA: 1/2 pound)? Come, let us reason on these questions...........
That first pot definitely was for fine tuning the 'spin'. ie, you can fine tune it so the item does/doesn't spin and by how much.
I noticed that; it was like steering a canal barge, there was a definite delay between input and seeing the effect.
The pins in that europlug are only designed for 2.5A. Otherwise it would be a full Schuko, round instead of flat. Schuko's can be used with any Earthing system, since we've got multiple plug/socket types across Europe, which all comes back in the universal Schuko. A europlug takes less space in a powerstrip then a Schuko. The europlug is commonly used around Europe for phone chargers, trimmers, kitchen appliances, etc. And your magnetic levitation device.
In my opinion the British plug is just odd. It's quite incapable of being waterproof! A Schuko can be made waterproof (due specially designed plugs/sockets, mostly for garden use), due that the Schuko plug is round, and lays recessed in the socket (compared to a flat surface of the UK). How does that work in the UK?
We'd also use CEE plugs (16/32A single phase, blue. 16/32/63A/125A three phase, red) which are at least IP44 and at best IP68. Are those also used in the UK?
The wobbliness is your converter!
Plug war started! ;-)
--------
On topic:
Can you power a led from the magnetic fields? To levitate a powered led?
Or a new phone charger where the phone floats in mid air :)
I'm a big fan of the Schuko plug.
BellPhreak Our ingress protected / weather protected / outside sockets take normal UK 13A plugs. Yes in industrial applications CEE connectors are used. Especially yellow plugs and sockets for building and portable power applications. The Wikipedia entry even mentions the BS standard (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEC_60309).
What I would use a gadget like this for would be to create a prop for theater. A rotating, levitating cup for a musical called Matilda in particular. At least this is my first thought on how to do it! LOL
"I SEE FOUR LIGHTS!" - Picard
From memory a CD4066 is either a hex schmitt trigger or yes analog switches as you said
8:59 scared the shit outta me
It's using peaces of induction creatively. The disk it came with is probably they key. Not just a magnet but also aluminum for lens law allowing for the feed back info. Through the induction coils. My guess.
I would like to see you explore the pole patterns on the ring magnet and puck. I predict the ring magnet is either a standard speaker magnet (one pole on each flat side) or one pole on the inner and one on the outer circumference. I suspect the puck is actually a stack of two neodymium magnets, but I don't have a prediction of its pole pattern.
It would also be interesting to see what an eddy current filter (say, copper clad board), under the magnet would do to the feedback response.
I would put a circle of the foam pad on the bottom of the levitating disc, that way you still have protection while experimenting with the cover off.
Julian: The diamon-like shaped plastic thing around the two pins will completle insert into our wall outlets.
No wobbles when the plug is in a socket thats designed to use with one, not an adapter that takes usa, japan and indochinamenistan plugs. I had a cellphone charger, wallwart, from a
Samsung, w it h that exact plug, it got hit by a foot while plugged in and the case broke, not the pins of the plug. And the case was thick plastic as well..
In my case, a similar incident resulted in a broken European socket.
I have documentation on reverse engineering this particular board if anyone interested. I didn't see much interest initially so it never went anywhere. Those transistors are 1/2 MOSFETs and 1/2 BJTs forming half bridges. The whole thing is an analog control system anyone can do which I found pretty interesting.
Hello, I am interested in the schematics if you still have it? If so my email is szaszbandi@yahoo.com
Hey could you send me your documentation? Trying to build something simmilar right now.
The multi turn trim pots might be to adjust the transistor bias currents. Just playing with them might not be the best idea unless you are precisely counting the turns. Use a regular screwdriver so you can see the exact head position as you turn them. I would also use an ammeter to watch the input current. Some basic track tracing might indicate their use.
Have you seen any videos from Eric Laitwathe? He was a UK prof. of electrical engineering who did a large scale version of this levitating a great sphere, in his 1960s/70s video about electromagnetism.
@12:36 There are Hall effect sensor for the 3 axis XYZ. If it works correct then it means you can tilt the device without the lev. magnet geting out off alignement.
I would put a heat sink on those transistors so they last longer. Just a strip of Aluminium with some thermal grease applied in between it. Either spring load it with clips on the edge of the pcb or glue it with superglue/T-8000. I am curious about the schematic also. There is a DIY assemble kit for about $30 on Ebay, I bet that would include the schematic and explain more about the trim pots purpose.
The plug wobbles, because you have a bad adapter. In German Sockets it will be held in place by the two edges, which go right into the socket.
I'm fairly certain this works with out the unit being powered on. Did you try that? The reason I say that, is that I've seen a number of videos where people take a ring magnet like the one in the unit and then build a spinning top. The spinning top is loaded with weights until its able to balance like the little floating top you have. They have spun their top probably to help average out any inbalance in the top.
It’s is because you don’t have the power plug onthat stile its is safer then most plugs avoid you take shocks if you are a kid and try to plug things to the plug that model protects it
thanks for this great dissectioning video.. finally got a chance to look inside it :-D
That LCD distortion describes the pulsating lights of ufo’s we usually see
I just received one of these. I can't get the magnetic disc to balance. It worked randomly a couple of times, now it just throws the magnet off. I can't get it to balance at all. I've tried adjusting the pots with varying degrees of change to the pull strength etc. Any ideas before I toss it in the trash ?
I would install it under the table and put small flickering led light on it that look like candle. That would look cool at night
The feedback control loops are high gain and under-damped because you need really fast response
How much power does that thing draw. It would be a cool display case, but if it draws an amp that would be a bit unnecessary. With as much heat as it is putting out, I can't imagine it is a small amount.
Yes, the small sensor at the top is Hall Effect. It's using a closed loop system to 'correct' the voltage passing through the electro magnets.
Edit: The screws should be the adjustment for the hall effect sensor
Now i know why ufo's have blinking lights
UK plugs maybe safer but they're bloody patronising.
U just gave me an idea to make a UFO...
If I tell u my theory..
Ur mind will explode in joy and excitement.
So many unanswered questions for such a neat gadget :( How much current does the platform draw, and how does the power consumption change with the weight of the levitated object? How does the voltage waveform on the LEDs look like? Or on the input plug?
The power draw is very litle when its just standing and rotating under a few hundred milliamps, its so little thta my QD188 power bank kicks off if I haven't set it to not turn off automatic, as its thinks there is no load. but the moment you put pressure on the plateau the power increases massively, on my power bank I saw spikes up around 1.6amp when i tried to place items on it or put some pressure down on it, most of the time it was around 0.6amp., but when its just standing and rotating with an item on it its very little and only a few hundred miliamp.. you can see the power bank display shows cero here in amps, and thats when its under 0.2amp...
i.imgur.com/c9msNED.mp4
0:08 every single thing I order summed up in one video. Thanks
UK plug is large and clunky also due to it holding the fuse in it, rest of EU has very good grid system, way better then the one in US... Also the plug wobles as its inserted into cheap multi plug adapter..
It looks very similar in operation to those table top devices that come with a floating globe of the Earth
Fridge magnets won't work, they are made with alternate strips of north/south poles next to each other, put 2 back to back and slide them (thanks to steve mould)
is that a hall effect sensor or a temp sensor ?
Plug is fine, the adapter is not to the standard. Proper sockets hold pretty well and are not the size of a SMART car like the british ones.
I suspect that this is the basis of a rather expensive turntable with a gravity deifying turntable.
Hi. Unfortunately the “this is a plug” plug you showed at 1:26 is not a plug that should be used either. If you look at the three pins you’ll notice that the L and N pins are half insulated (in line with IEE regs and CE etc). The problem is that the Ground or Earth pin is also half insulated.
In a UK socket the Earth pin is used to move the gates on the L and N slots. The connection from the Earth pin to the socket is very close to the front of the socket hole, whereas the L and N connections are further back behind the screens.
When you plug in he type of plug you showed, initially the Earth pin makes contact with the socket but as you push it further in the insulated part of the Earth pin comes into contact with the socket and the uninsulated tip of the Earth pin breaks contact.
Please check this for yourself. Just measure between the Earth pin and the socket Earth connection. You’ll find continuity at first but as the plug is pushed fully home the Earth pin becomes disconnected.
I just throw those power leads away. You think you’re grounded but you’re not. Too dangerous for my liking.
Cheers
NOSS
You can buy this as a kit from IC Station.
Julian, thanks for examining a very interesting device. The D882 is a 3 amp NPN and the B772 is the PNP complement.I plan to use complementary mosfets in a levitator design.
PC Cooler ventilator 4pin chip (i think two(or maybe four)pcs.) can be enough to construct such levitator
I see that you've played Snarky Pluggey, before :)
The inductors would absolutely swamp those hall effects, so I assume those are only read when the coils aren't being powered?
The pots seem to control the strength of two toroidial fields. One clockwise, the other anti/counter clockwise ! Slick little gadget !! So, what field/effect happens from the bottom ?
The trouble with this is that if you allow the floating magnet to sit on the base off center, it permanently partially demagnetizes the ferrite magnet in the base, ruining the device.
So if it falls from its magnetic field and you aren't around will it get really hot ??? I mean I don't pa
ln on leaving it but lets say it happens . Should that be a concern ??
I imagine these devices will look very quaint to future humans who depend on magnetic levitation in their daily lives :P
I couldn't resist, I had to order one.
I have an question sicne many many years !!!
can you lift up yourself ?
what does it happen,if
Your plate over the E Magnet lifts up.. but the plate muss be longer to the downide as your mashine is..with an magnet on it ...
NOW put an magnet under your mashine
And starts your mashine... can it fly ????
Had one of these bought as a present. Worked at first but after turning off, I could not obtain levitation again on restarting, despite a long time trying. I obtained a replacement and exactly the same thing happened. I took it apart and two of the four coils were loose. I tightened them up but it made no difference. Mine does not have the LEDs that help with centering. Don't know what else to try and it could be heading for the bin!
Same here. Only got it to balance once. Now it just flicks the magnet aside no matter how you try. So it's into the trash and around $50 bucks wasted.
I enjoyed watching your video julian thanks for sharing the experiment
Looks like some jail house knowledge while writing everything on a white wall lol
I bought this exact model from the description link and its not capable of handling half a kilo at all. I barely was able to put 200g on top. Anything more than that is heavier than the magnet + field and the magnet falls on the platform. I am not sure why on the video it shows 500g. Am I doing something wrong? Maybe not enough power supply? Also, leds are not sensitive to the magnet and the opacity does not change. They are just on.
Could it be adapted to function as a seismometer? The reaction shown by the LEDs suggest it might.
It is not odd. If you put tree magnets beside eachother the gaps inbetween will be the opposit
Just read all the comments and, unless I missed it, nobody asked how long the darn thing will spin with such low friction!?!
Hi Julian,
you might want to make a video with the Arduino and the AD9850 -
but not for sound but for radio amateur as a goal
a video about how you put it together and program it?
greetings from the Netherlands!
Rob.
The plugs are not wobbly in our sockets, only wobbly in those converters you use.
What a great spliff toy!
Can you do this with a flying car? Have the bottom as the flying device and the pod that levitates to be the personnel carrier?
We know there are permanent magnets, electromagnets and a feedback loop, but how does it actually work? I would have been nice if you explained that in the video.
is there another you know of that is under $100 that is just a basic platform that is better or floats higher? I didn't know it but apparently i already am subscribed to you ha
I'm asking the same thing
4066 is a quad analogue switch, but I don't know what a 4419 is.
It won't spin on itself ?!? Maybe use a fan then right ?
is it possible to get electric energy back from the magnetic field ? My idea is to power LED inside a 3D printed model using induction.
You can only get power from a moving magnetic field. However, you can add an inductive coil like used in wireless charging systems and get power to the floating object. There are lighted floating globes that do just that.
sure,, allready numerous products where you have LEDs or LED filaments in the floating item that lights up.
www.aliexpress.com/item/2018-NEW-Magnetic-Levitating-Light-Bulb-Desk-Wood-Grain-Floating-Lamp-Unique-Gift-Home-Office-Room/32856830384.html?
Can you put a receiver coil on the hovering magnet to power an LED?
Put a power meter in series and see how it changes as the magnetic field changes?
Schematics ??
This one screams for reverse engineering !!
i wanna make one of these screammy things|!!!
Hey i have one, this is for the magnetic levitation DIY kit on ebay that i built, they are nearly identical
imgur.com/a/vDdd28M
And this is the kit
www.ebay.com/itm/123219511893
@@Impetuss unavailable
Hi! What will happen if you turn the platform off the electricity? The magnet will hit nearest magnet on the platform?
hm... If you were to make a small platform and use a magnet
could you make a pull something like:
platform-> _---- +
On what Principle it works plz tell me sir...I m doing one of project.which is related to magnetic flux ..
I have problems with mine, sometimes it doesnt work. Could it be calibration?, help me please
Hey Julian, I’m wondering what will happen if you put the floating magnet in the centre before turning it on and then turn the unit on, cheers
So if i use a neodymium magnet instead of the supplied levitating one it wont levitate? Maybe the bigger metal acts as a balancer
Wow, just a gift for Fathers day.. :-)
Mine worked great for a couple of months then one day it just slammed down and now it won’t work. I would buy another one if it lasted longer. It must have overheated from leaving it on for a couple of days.
When you said "metal case", i was thinking "really? looks like metalized plastic to me!", no idea how you could actually mistake it for metal after touching and holding it, that stuff feels so cheap and chincy in my experience...
die cast metal can feel pretty crap though, and depending on the finish can feel like plastic
The weight of the magnet and coils inside could be misleading.
Geniusaur Really? The metal feeling when touching it is unmistakable. Plastic is an insulator and won’t conduct heat, so it feels like it isn’t very cold. But metals are very good heat conductors (because of free electrons, which also happens to be the reason why they conduct electricity), so it feels cold even if painted.
some polymers are conductive ... but typically you would put a resin based finish on a metal (ie plastic) and these plastics are designed to feel like metal and usually have some kind of conductive filler material in the finish.. leading to a middle ground where one can feel like the other. yes i could tell you in a heartbeat that that tatty shite that was made in china is going to be a polymer, mostly because you cant cast metal like that for cheap.l.
Geniusaur i can tell you from here that it is cheap abs plastic ^^
could you levitate a smaller magnet? (i.e 3mm/25mm)
could 3d print a jig to line it up properly
is there any kind of non trivial documentation about technical details of this device?
"You europeans"
*has a british accent*
Says in the BG description "1. The levitating magnetic hover disc can hold up to 250g in mid-air" but you managed 500g
Great video as ever.
It can hold 500g. Have a look here, pretty much identical: www.banggearwatch.com/pricetracker/eqkit-ms-500g-diy-magnetic-magnetic-1330343/
Water on top of a unstable electronic device ?
They didnt want us to learn this as children in school!