ASSEMBLING YOUR SEC EXCITER 15/20 KIT

Ronald R. Stiffler1 1Senior Scientist, Stiffler Scientific, Humble, Texas, USA DrStiffler@embarqmail.com

KIT PARTS LIST Check your parts and be sure they are all included in you package. Note that some extra parts may be included. 1ea. SEC 15-3/20 Circuit Board

The SEC-015-1 Circuit Board is a quality board manufactured to the highest specifications and with a specific layout providing the correct inner-lead capacities to support proper operation of a wide-band SEC Exciter. The board was not designed or manufactured to support multiple reworking. In other words multiple replacement of parts or configuration changes are not advised. 11ea. (2 extra) 1ea. 2ea. (1 extra) 10ea. (1 extra) 1ea. 4ea. 1ea. 1ea. 1ea. 1N4148 Diodes, glass with Red body and Black stripe 1N4001 Diode, Black body with White stripe MPSA06 Transistor, 3 leads, Black body Ultra Bright White LEDs 10uH Choke, (Brown-Black-Black-Silver) Marking 22uH Chokes (Red-Red-Black-Silver) Markings Tunable Coil, L1 with extra tuning slug 1 ohm Resistor (Brown-Black-Gold-Gold) Marking 1Meg ohm Resistor (Brown-Black-Green-Gold) Marking

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1ea. 10uF Electrolytic Capacitor, large Black unit with polarity marks 1ea. 470pF Capacitor, 471 Marking 1ea. 0.1uF Capacitor, 104 Marking 1ea. 0.01uF Capacitor, 103 Marking 2ea. (1 extra) Neon Bulb, Large 1.9mA bulb and one small 600uA unit. Decide which Exciter variation you wish to wire onto the circuit board. The SEC-015-1 Circuit Board is a dual-purpose circuit board. Two different versions of SEC Exciters can be configured on this board; 1) the basic work horse 15-3 Exciter and the expanded 15-20 Demonstration Exciter. It is suggested that you configure your initial circuit in the most minimum form (SEC 153) and Expand to a (SEC 15-20) if and when desired. If you begin with a 15-20, the retro fit to a 15-3 will require board rework and this is not advised as it can jeopardize the integrity of the board and foil. The 15-20 Exciter is for all practical purposes a research board to demonstrate how Exciters can be configured using a single wire while powering multiple stages of circuitry. It is not recommended to initially populate the circuit board as a 15-20 unless the primary goal is to study the operation in a research setting. The following image (Fig: 1) shows a SEC 15-3 and its parts layout and is to be used when you add components to the board. Note: Look at the layout and locate the two jumper wires, labeled #1 and #2. The #1 jumper is included in the parts package with your diodes and transistor. The jumper #2 is taken from one of the trimmed diode leads after the diode is soldered into the board. Jumper #2 is only used in a SEC 15-3 and is not present in a 15-20. If you are going to build a complete SEC 15-20, disregard Jumper #2 as it will not be used. If you are not familiar with electronic components and the polarity and value markings they contain, you should spend some time with one or more basic electronics books to acquaint you with the various components. Take special care in bending the leads on the Chokes, if you improperly bend them so that they are stressed when inserted or you pressure them into their mounting holes, they can be damages. These are fragile ceramic components and require care when mounting. The circuit board has band markings for all diodes and the diodes are marked accordingly, so insure the diode matches the circuit board when mounting. The 1N4148 diodes are glass, use care and properly bend the leads before mounting. The transistor has a flat side and the flat side is matched to the flat side of the circuit board symbol. The transistor is mounted in the left most transistor slot. The right slot is not used for the SEC 15-3/20 circuits.

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The 10uF capacitor is a polarized unit and has markings to match it polarity. Be sure the (+) lead is in the outside hole of the board. Note: If you plan on using a basic 15-3 to drive other loads such as capacitors, resistors or electrolyzers, do not install the Neon Bulb, rather install short wire leads that can be used to connect to you external load. Remember the boards are not designed for rework, carefully consider your goals and construct your board with that in mind so you do not have to un-solder components. Fig: 1

Once your board is assembled, double check the 1N4001 protection diode for correct polarity. This diode is to protect against applying a source voltage with a polarity that could damage the board components. An incorrect polarity on this diode will cause the fuse trace on the circuit board to burn.

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The SEC 15-20 Fig: 2

The preceding image shows the additional components that are added to the basic SEC 15-3 to make it a SEC 15-20. Note: If you are upgrading a SEC 15-3 to a SEC 15-20 and had the Neon installed in the 15-3, it must be moved to its new position as indicated in the diagram. If the neon is not moved or is not present the 15-20 circuit is unbalanced and will not work properly. The upgrade to a 15-20 requires the addition of 6 ea., 1N4148 diodes (observe the correct polarity markings), 3 ea., 22uH chokes and 9 ea. Super White LEDs.

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Mounting the LEDs

There is an error in the printing on the circuit board, the flat side printed on the board is not correct and does not match the flat side on the LEDs. Therefore care must be taken to insure the LEDs are inserted by the correct polarity. Ignore the flat side on the LEDs and use the following instructions. Each LED has a long lead as indicated in the preceding picture, this long lead is the (+) connection to the LED and must be inserted into the [-] square LED mounting hole. Do not match the flat side of the LED with the flat marking on the circuit board. The following image should further clarify the LED mounting procedure.

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Tuning a finished board. Caution! Use only a plastic, nylon or wood tuning tool made specifically for coil slugs. These tools are available from many electronics suppliers. Using anything else other than a correct wand will damage and break the slug. Even though a spare slug may have been supplied in your parts, additional slugs are not available. The only way to obtain an additional slug is to purchase an entire coil and remove the slug or install the new coil. SEC 15-3 Tune for maximum Neon glow and minimum supply current. It is possible that three specific tuning positions can be obtained, but only one is correct. Maximum brightness and minimum supply current. SEC 15-20 Tune for maximum LED and Neon brightness, multiple spots may be found where the Neon is bright but the LEDs are not or the LEDs are bright and the Neon is not. By moving through the various tuning peaks you will find the optimal spot. Problems or Question: It is up to the builder to use proper construction procedures and soldering equipment and solder for mounting of components in a SEC Exciter circuit board. If you are not skilled in this area you should ask someone that is to assist you. Improper bending of component leads will damage the components. All components are tested before being assembled in a kit format. Questions; Contact Dr. Ronald R. Stiffler You Should Understand: Input DC voltage (AC ripple <2%) DO NOT EXCEED 20 Volts DC. Input Current, Never exceed 75mA without a transistor heat sink, never exceed a maximum input current of 175mA. Never apply AC as a supply voltage. Incorrect supply polarity will trigger the protection diode and burn the fuse trace.

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