buzz box gen

[hiker]

needed a small gen for the buzz box[makes the spark] on my 1916 engine..

i rewound a small ceiling fan motor with #17 wire--30 turns per coil --14 coils-

14 mags--single phase..used harddrive mags double stacked...some of the mags were

larger then the rest--so i belive im getting some cancelation in volts because some coils have two mags at times passing over them..time to grind some mags..

 right now i have it hooked up to my little 2hp briggs and strat--for testing..

just a hare past idle it lights up a couple of 12v 50 watt lights..not sure of  the

amps..30volts open..well it should work out okay for the buzz box--im going to run it off of the flywheel so i should have enough volts just by hand cranking..

any way heres some shots with it hoooked to the briggs--the alt is 6" across by 2" wide

[jimjjnn]

Two 50 watt lights at full(?) brightness 100 watts divided by 12 volts a little over 8 Amps.

Re-doing your magnets may give you more or less power. For your buzz box, I would think it would provide more than enough power.

There may be other prblems due to Vehicle vibrations, engine heat and many other things that I can't remember.

I say "GO FOR IT". those that don't try new things never succeed at anything and those that do try "ALWAYS HAVE FUN" and nearly always succeed

[drdongle]

I think that when you hook it up to the welder you will be disappointed with the results. I don't see how either the alternator, or the engine is large enough to provide the power you will need. A better solution would be to to use a 7-12 HP engine driving an axle PMA or an auto alternator. With the auto alternator you would have the ability to control the output using a rheostat on the field coil. You would also need to use higher power rectifiers on the output.

[hiker]

its not for a welder--a buzz box is a old system that provides a spark for my single

cyclender 1916 engine..it runs on anywhere from 6 to 12volts..this little alt should work out fine --with power to spare..i hooked a rectifier up to it and it charges a 12v auto battery just fine --nice big spark..now i just need to find my amp. meter and find out what kind of amps its putting out..most likly around 10amps???like i said its mainly made for my 1916 engine so i dont have to pack around a extra auto battery  -

just for the sparkplug........heres a shot of the motor its going on--the buzz box is inside the metal box...

[jimjjnn]

Hiker,

A lot of the folks here don't know what a buzz box is so you have to enlighten them when you post. I remember lots of buzz boxes cause as a kid I and a friend had a Model "A" and a model "T". Let me tell you a "T" with spark advanced hurts severely when you crank it.OUCH!! Still smarts.

[jimjjnn]

I goofed. The Model "T" i think had a small magneto and the Model "A" had the buzz box. Had so many old cars back as a kid. Hard to remember. May have been My 31 Chev convert with rumble seat.Too dadburn many years past. Good years tho

[hiker]

i know what you mean!!the timming is slightly off on my old engine--kicks back every once in awhile when you go to crank it..its a old pump jack engine--runs great..

my dad lives down in oregon--he has a few old engines for sale..drop  a email if your interrested..all his motors are rebuilt he started a club down there years ago..

google search--bill wallner--

[hiker]

dang --lots of bill wallners on google search--hes the one on hall of fame...later.

[elvin1949]

Jim

the model T had the buzz box

later

Elvin

[drdongle]

OK now I understand, when I hear "buzz box" I think of those inexpensive welders, as that was what I first heard them called.

So why not use a battery to start the buzz box and then use the alternator to keep it charged from the the 1916 engine, that way you do away with the B&S engine.........

[DanB]

Yes... thats right.  The 'T' has the 'buzz box' - wonderful little coils with vibrating relays on top.. lots of fun for small tesla coils and other projects!  The model A had the same sort of perfectly conventional breaker point ignition system that was used on cars for the next 50 years.

Thats a super cute little engine you've got there Hiker.

[hiker]

the alt is going on the 1916 engine so i can do away with the battery--the briggs and sratt is just a test stand for the alt..found my amp. meter--the alt tops out ten amps.

not bad for harddrive mags..--i did have it wired with #14 wire at first but it took to much rpms to reach 12volts--no dout it had a few more amps thou.....

i need high volts at a low rpm --sence i will be hand cranking the engine to start it..

should work out fine........

[joelhacker]

okay...let's be even clearer...

a buzz box is a super old fashioned inverter.

It would be a relay that would be double-pull

double-throw and it would have a magnetic winding

on it like a regular relay, except, this winding

would be driven with a contact/breaker system

like those in old school bells...

Because of the set of double pull-double throw

contacts, you would wire the contacts out of

series and would be able to product a 6/12 volt

"AC" Square wave that you could then use to drive

the primary side of a step-up transformer and get

the desired high voltage AC that you wanted...

The AC Voltage that would be on the secondary

side of the transformer would be directly proportional

to the ratio of the primary/secondary side and the

input voltage.

This method worked for quite a while in the early

car radios that would use tubes and would need

~300 VAC to run the plate voltage off a six volt

DC Car Battery.

Until the early engines developed magnetos, the

ignigition system of the car would also depend

upon this type of high voltage generator to develop

the spark.

I am only 30 years old and have never seen these

used in cars, but I had an uncle/cousin that build

a monster tesla coil with one of these and I nearly

burn down a tree house years ago trying to use these

"vibrator" relays as a poor man's alternator.

By the way, the relays were called vibrators which not

too many people would recognize these days if you walk

into Radio Shack.

[Norm]

  The Model T had 4 wood buzz boxes, 1 for each

of the 4 cylinders...each one usually vibrated at

a different frequency, when you hand cranked it,

you could almost play a tune!....as it kicked

back and broke your wrist! (not mine but there

were cases)

              ( :>) Norm.

[hiker]

thanks dan.......