5 Volt Supercapacitors (and LEDs of course)

[@jamhough22]

I used one of these to replace a failed internal 3v battery of a plug-in power monitor. It now holds its memory much longer.

[@SOLARSHED13]

Hi Julian, have you any idea what has happened to Adam welch at all?

[@EsotericArctos]

Better to slightly underrate than over rate. You will probably find, due to tolerances and other factors, the actual rating is closer than the calculated rating based on the individual values. Nice little experiment :)

[@hughgarsehotmail]

How about a little 5v solar panel sat on top, and then see how long it lasts when it gets dark.

[@Electronzap]

Good to see the screw down barrel jack connector. I'm surprised that they aren't more popular.

[@BuckFudweiser]

The thumbnail tricked me into thinking you were making a light up Battleships.

[@xanataph]

Hey have you heard from Adam Welch lately? Just checked his YT channel and now new videos for almost a year now.

[@piconano]

These blinkers don't have limiting resistors. At least mine don't. I went further with my 7 LED RGB solar garden light and added a 2 transistor current mirror for each LED. Before, each color of the lead ran on different voltage/current. Now they all run at 20mA no matter the color. It was a pain soldering 14 transistors and 14 resistors, but what smooth uniform transition between colors. It has gone through on year of Canadian winter and going into the second year still looking pretty every night...

[@TheEmbeddedHobbyist]

16th got 11.5kWh today sun came out for a bit. only 2kWh's yesterday. what a difference a little bit of sun makes.

[@pleasecho2]

j made an ornamental device using a micro LED and a 1000 mah lithium ion flat pack. So far its been lit for 3 days and no observable dimming

[@pleasecho2]

Update: it's been a month and it's still going

[@robinbrowne5419]

A fun and interesting video. Thank you. It is fascinating how much those blinking LED boards look like the stereotype of a super-computer computer calculating away. I always wonder if it will eventually stop and display the answer: 42. Cheers from Canada :-)

[@james10739]

I assume if they are 2.7v that they won't balance well unless their internal resistance is exactly the same I assume at the top end it will take less power which will balance but if you are not at the limit it probably won't balance well

[@TheEmbeddedHobbyist]

Well they have just put them in series. So if there is a miss match in capacity then there is a chance that one will go bang. V = Q/C so if C is not the same for the same amount of charge then the voltage across them will be different. So a bit of a risk with Chinese caps where they will just pick them off the floor as placing then on the floor means they charge to the same level (hight).

[@JulianIlett]

I'm just wondering whether the capacitors have more internal leakage at higher voltages. This would help them to stay in balance.

[@TheEmbeddedHobbyist]

@@JulianIlett might help but depends on how far apart the starting capacity was of each cell.

[@-Graham]

@@JulianIlett they likely will but I'm dubious that internal resistance will be enough to balance them out of circuit. With LEDs clamping in parallel as you showed in the circuit then yeah, absolutely.

[@-Graham]

I built a DIY dynamo a few years back using a printer stepper motor with a lego wheel glued to the shaft for grip. I used a 6.3mm socket hose clipped to the bike frame, hot glued & cable tied the motor with a 6.3mm plug adapter together and mounted a spring between to tension it to the wheel. I soldered 2 strips of red leds in heatshrink clipped to the rear through a 2.7v 1.5f supercap to one pole, and a white LED at the front through 2 same supercaps In series on another pole. The LEDs clamped the voltage to their forward voltage and my lights stayed visible for a good half hour after stopping. I wish I had pics to show you

[@simonsimpsonuk]

Love your videos thank you what is the psu you used to charge it up we’re can I get one please

[@Wilksey37]

Do you use the standard "China post" for shipping from Ali? How long does it typically take these days to deliver to the UK? Do you ever get hit with customs charges? I've only ever had DHL try and charge me customs.

[@jolyontayrol1028]

Those "brass shavings" look more like a copper plated mild steel scourer, which are much cheaper and more abrasive than real brass wool tip cleaners. These are a common substitution on eBay.

[@cheeseschrist2303]

Jolyon Tayrol, magnet test will show.

[@YodaWhat]

*Plated-on Copper?!? **_shudder_* That will _quickly_ start getting rusty if actually used for scouring dishes. What should be used in the copper-colored scouring pads is a high-copper bronze alloy.

[@andrewsawesome]

Do you have any tips on playing around with supercalacitors and invoorperating them into designs e.g. what values to buy?

[@outaspaceman]

I’ve been experimenting with flashing LEDs.. Added 10ohm to each LED.. There’s part of my life I won’t get back

[@arduinosoundlab6060]

Do you have a link for the LEDs you purchased? Thanks.

[@andrewwatts1997]

Great experiment, but please, next time. Attach a voltmeter so we can follow the voltage drop over time. No one knows wether the cap was fully charged nor at what point the led's would have shut down.

[@jamest.5001]

What about covering the back side with 5-6v pv panels? Connected through a diode to the PCB, it would only be about 100 ma max current, probably never fully charge the cap .

[@pmacgowan]

What is the name of your power supply ?

[@TrinityCodex]

how do they flash?

[@onesandzeros2u]

Tiny ic inside the LED

[@Luke-san]

Still need to order some but unfortunately summer is gone again, so many projects, so liitle sun. Was thinking about using supercaps as a sort of buffer in parallel with a small solar panel to smoothen out the clouds a bit. Julian, any idea where Adam Welch is?

[@joruss]

Just an idea but how about in next iteration use the pcb itself as a diodes spacer and light mask to reduce bleeding? With diode legs curled up to affix them.

[@rickhunt3183]

a cheap and easy way to prevent bleeding is to cut a piece of electrical tape into small strips and single wrap the leds. It requires a little finesse, but it's doable

[@joruss]

@@rickhunt3183 heck, dip the tops in hot glue and paint the rest black ;-)

[@rickhunt3183]

@@joruss Hot glue is the bomb. It's saved me lots of times. I've used it for so many things in electronics. I even use it when running led rope lights. I never use the clamps anymore when running led lighting. Of course you have to work within its limitations. Thank you Joe for being so nice.

[@joruss]

@@rickhunt3183 Yes, the one who invented it should get some sort of prize! Not only it's the go-to suff fixer (including wood!) but also is to a degree recyclable. I keep reclaimed glue as flattened blobs for hole filling or ghetto plug creating. btw. It's really sad that nowadays we learned to expect hostility on the internet as a default setting, isn't it? Have a great day! 🙂

[@Drxxx]

Cool channel! Good videi

[@fredflintstone1]

I love the way you believe the capacity on a chinese capacitor??

[@TheEmbeddedHobbyist]

Belief is all you have, we should have more capacity to doubt. 🙂

[@fredflintstone1]

@@TheEmbeddedHobbyist Nichicon to you I say🙂

[@fredflintstone1]

@@backgammonbacon yes I do that is how I know not to believe them🙂

[@-Graham]

This is why we test

[@TheEmbeddedHobbyist]

@@-Graham going bang is the final test. I always think we should get what we've paid for and not need to test how bad they are.

[@anispinner]

6:38 what phone is that?

[@anispinner]

answer: Samsung Galaxy Z flip 3

[@magnuswootton6181]

if the volts go up on supercaps more, it could eventually become lethal.

[@-Graham]

Lethal to the cap, sure. Overvolting will just break the vent seal or dry out the electrolyte. Nothing else bad will happen

[@magnuswootton6181]

@@-Graham itll electrocute you. i mean if super caps eventually get to 100volts, they may become lethal from the amount of amps they have in them.

[@robinbrowne5419]

The capacitance of 1.5F was slightly less than 1/2 the total capacitance of 3.3F. Well... At least they didn't lie and claim it was 10,000... like some battery cell manufacturers we know!!!! Cheers :-)

[@rickhunt3183]

To keep those boards from corroding use a little clear fingernail polish. Clear fingernail polish has lots of electronic uses..It's also a poor man's thread lock. I recommend putting some in your electronics tool kit. If anyone says anything about it. Tell them you'll scratch their eyes out. I've used it for years....on my electronic circuits. Oh...red will work too, but you'll probably get more snide comments.

[@YodaWhat]

Nail polish is formulated to dry quickly, which is likely to result in it being full of microscopic holes. Whether or not that is the reason, I have found it to be permeable enough to NOT protect coated steel from rusting. Other types of paint may be quite different. YMMV.

[@rickhunt3183]

@@YodaWhat When you use words like " likely to result" It indicates you have no definitive information about a particular subject. You can use or not use whatever you want for any application you want. It's clear that you didn't even google if fingernail polish could be used to protect something from the environment let alone reach out to any manufacturer. Liquid electrical tape is my primary goto, but it's not always in my tool kit. I'm not going to argue about fingernail polish. It's pointless and a waste of my time without any reward. You're free to use whatever works for you. I've used it in electronics since the 70's without any problems and will continue to do so. Thank you for your feedback and have a good night.

[@YodaWhat]

​@@rickhunt3183 "So-called *solid"* rubber _IS_ full of microscopic holes, which is why rubber gaskets can't be used in high vacuum work... too leaky, due to volatile components which exit the rubber during curing, leaving pinholes. You think the solvents in nail polish will do something different? Then why did steel rust underneath nail polish? Maybe there was more moisture in my equipment? I live in N. Carolina, where it gets quite humid. And btw, "likely" means _there is a good chance,_ so it should not be risked on important equipment... unless you're feeling cocky.

[@lezbriddon]

when you were playing with the 2.7v version i thought about 2 in series, then dismissed the idea due to balancing, guess the chinese sellers either dont care or its not an issue with these magical self balancing ones... go on get the meter out and rip the plastic off em.....see if they do....

[@lezbriddon]

@Julian_Ilett_ oh than you! This is wonderful news and I've had such bad luck this year, hang on a few seconds and I'll give you my postal address, dob, account number and sort code, the long number off my credit card and that silly little 3 digit code off the back and your can send me my prize.

[@simmo1024]

The problem with AliExpress (I discovered the other day!) is they slap a 20% VAT charge on top at checkout. I doubt HMGov ever get to see that little surcharge - guess I'll find out when my order hits customs. Basically you have to account for the 20% when comparing prices with Ebay - it all comes from the same factory in China anyway, so I don;t suppose it matter much which you go for other than price.

[@sdgelectronics]

No issues with customs if you pay VAT at checkout

[@simmo1024]

@@sdgelectronics yeah, the point is I'd rather not pay the VAT or the customs!

[@barrieshepherd7694]

If you are using eBay UK they put the 20% VAT on as well - no different.

[@sdgelectronics]

@@simmo1024 you can't get away from paying VAT, but no customs fee if they add VAT at checkout

[@simmo1024]

@@sdgelectronics Indeed the taxman will always want his pound of flesh, but it is better to find out what the VAT is BEFORE you spend an hour looking for the cheapest provider, rather than at the checkout. Ebay, at least, the price is the price. (and, um, even if they don't pay the vat, there is a god chance small orders will slip though customs unmolested). I guess what I am saying is, check the prices and work out the VAT yourself before deciding on using AliExpress.

[@deltapparo4451]

watching you solder is so boring ...

[@danielrioux54]

I am surprised that you trust Chinese Electronics components. There are so many counterfeit components. How can you know for example that the Maxwell supercapacitor is genuine? When you interrogate yourself about the supercapacitor real value, why not measuring its value using a LCR meter? Why you did not opened the capacitor package in order to evaluate the charging balance between the two supercapacitors building the unit ? Very disappointing!