The simplest strobe circuit. How to assemble a strobe light for installing the ignition with your own hands? How to find and order a strobe light on Aliexpress at a reasonable price and free shipping

  • 18.04.2023

A correctly set ignition timing is the key to stable, stable operation of the entire engine. Moreover, fuel consumption directly depends on the ignition. In this article, I propose to consider the option of optically tuning your car’s engine using a strobe light.

For this procedure you will need the following tools:

1. Strobe.

2. A regular set of automotive tools.

3. Dielectric gloves.

Now in more detail.

First of all, you need to drive the car out of the garage. It is advisable that there are no light interferences, for example, blinding or glare sunlight; it is best to do this work in the afternoon. Carefully inspect the strobe to ensure that there is no mechanical damage on its body. Please be aware that you may be seriously injured if you come into contact with the high voltage strobe converter circuit.

Next, turn off the engine, and then use the clamps (be sure to observe polarity) to connect the device to the battery. Be careful that, God forbid, a short circuit does not occur; this can happen if the contact wires are connected incorrectly. In order to avoid troubles, read the instructions that come with the device. Then attach the signal cable to the wire that is connected to the spark plugs of the first cylinder, thereby forming a capacitive coupling with the device.

The wires must be positioned in such a way as to prevent them from getting into the rotating parts of the machine. Now you need to find a mark made with white paint on the crankshaft pulley or flywheel. After this, it is necessary to determine the same marking on the body of the power unit. Follow safety precautions, remove any metal objects from yourself: chain, bracelet, watch, etc. Place the gear shift lever in neutral.

Next, put on the dielectric gloves you prepared earlier. Make sure that there is no contact of moving mechanisms with body parts or any items of clothing. After this, start the car engine and let it run, wait until the idle speed stabilizes. Then slightly loosen the mounting bolt that prevents the distributor from turning.

Let's move on. Take a strobe light and point it at the crankshaft pulley to illuminate the mark on the housing and the mark on the engine. Slowly, slowly turn the distributor body, achieving maximum alignment of the markings. When everything matches, you can turn off the engine and turn off the strobe. Now fix the distributor body by tightening the fastening bolt.

Now you can test the machine in action. To check the correct ignition adjustment, accelerate the car to 50 km/h on a flat section of the road. Then sharply press the gas, if detonation knocks appear, which will last no longer than two seconds, we can safely conclude that the work of adjusting the ignition with a strobe light was a success. Close the hood, put away the tool and enjoy the positive result.

I propose a diagram of a car strobe light for adjusting the ignition timing of the UOZ. The circuit is powered by a 12V car battery. It uses LEDs from a flashlight as a light-emitting element.

Let's consider the operation of the circuit: When the device is connected to a battery, capacitor C1 quickly begins to charge through resistor R3. Having reached a certain level, the voltage through the LEDs and resistor R4 is supplied to the base of the transistor, which opens. In this case, relay P1 is triggered, its contact closes and prepares the circuit consisting of a thyristor, relay contact P1, LEDs and capacitor C1 in readiness. When a pulse from contact X1 arrives at the control electrode of the thyristor through the divider R1, R2, the thyristor instantly opens and the capacitor is quickly discharged through the LEDs. There is a bright flash! The base of the transistor, through resistor R4 and the thyristor, is connected to the common wire and the transistor closes, turning off the relay. Since the relay armature has a slight inertia and residual magnetization, the contact does not open immediately, but after a few microseconds, thereby increasing the burning time of the LEDs. The contact opens, the thyristor is de-energized and the circuit returns to its original state, awaiting the next pulse. Thanks to this, the flickering of the strobe becomes brighter and the mark on the flywheel is clearly visible, leaving behind a small trail. By selecting a capacitor you can regulate the duration of LED burning. The larger the capacity, the brighter the flash, but the longer the tag trail. With a smaller capacity, the sharpness of the mark increases, but the brightness decreases. It is not advisable to do this since the OZ adjustment will have to be done in the dark, which is not entirely convenient.

After assembling the strobe, you need to check its functionality. We connect a 12V DC voltage source to pins X2 and X3. When terminals X1 and X2 are connected to each other, the relay should “buzz” (ringing mode).

When adjusting the OPS, you should apply a white dot to the mark of the flywheel or pulley using a stroke for better visibility. The strobe elements are placed in the body of the LED flashlight. Power wires approximately 0.5 m long are passed through the rear holes of the flashlight, onto the ends of which alligators with appropriate color markings are soldered. A hole is drilled in the side of the housing through which the shielded wire of contact X1 is passed. Its length should be no more than 0.5 m. At the end, the screen braid is wrapped with electrical tape, and a copper wire 10 cm long is soldered to the central core, which serves as a strobe sensor. When connected, this wire should be wound onto the high-voltage wire of the first cylinder over the insulation, 3-4 turns are enough. Winding should be done as close to the spark plug as possible to eliminate the influence of neighboring wires.

About details: The design uses small-sized components. Transistor KT315 - it can be found in any equipment of previous years with any letter index. Thyristor KU112A - from a switching power supply of an old TV. Small-sized resistors 0.125 W. Flashlight with 6-12 diodes. If the flashlight is equipped with an electronic beacon, then this board is removed. Capacitor C1 for a voltage of at least 16V. Diode V2 is almost any low-frequency KD105, D9. Small-sized relay (BS-115-12A-DC12V), (RWH-SH-112D, 12A, cat.=12v). You can also use domestic small-sized relays, for example RES-10 with a coil voltage of 12V.

The circuit is mounted mounted and compactly packed into a flashlight.

List of radioelements

Designation Type Denomination Quantity NoteShopMy notepad
V1 Bipolar transistor

KT315B

1 To notepad
V1 Thyristor & Triac

KU112A

1 To notepad
V2 Diode

KD522A

1 To notepad
R1 Resistor

51 kOhm

1 To notepad
R2 Resistor

4.7 kOhm

1 To notepad
R3 Resistor

510 Ohm

1 To notepad
R4 Resistor

10 kOhm

1

Correctly setting the ignition timing (IAF) is one of the main aspects of adjustment that allows you to achieve proper engine operation. Due to an incorrectly set OZ, the engine will work intermittently, and in some cases it will not start at all. You can use a strobe light to make adjustments. How to build a strobe light for installing the ignition with your own hands - learn from this material.

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Description of the strobe

How to make a simple strobe for setting up an OZ on LEDs, what elements will the circuit of the device consist of? First, let's look at the main characteristics of the device.

Working diagram

The main constituent elements using the example of the above diagram:

  1. The power circuit consists of switch SA1, diode element VD1 and capacitor device C2. The diode is used to protect other components from erroneous polarity reversal. The capacitor itself is used to block possible interference, thus preventing failure of the trigger. The purpose of switch SA1 is to activate and deactivate power.
  2. An equally important component is the input circuit, which includes the controller, resistor elements R1 and R2 and capacitor device C1. The role of the controller here is played by the device clamp, which is called a crocodile, it is fixed on the first cylinder. If the connection is correct, then the above elements form a simple differential circuit.
  3. Trigger circuit. This component consists of two single vibrators used to generate a signal of the desired frequency at the output. These components perform the function of frequency setting.
  4. The output stage is made using resistor elements R5-R9, and transistors VT1 are also used for this purpose. VT2 and VT3. These devices are necessary to increase the output current of the trigger board. The resistor device R5 sets a certain base current of the transistor element number 1 (the video was shot by Maxim Sokolov).

Operating principle

The device for setting the advance angle is powered by a built-in battery or car battery. When the switch is activated, the trigger starts working first. At outputs 2 and 12 of the board, an increased potential is formed, and a low potential is formed at pins 1 and 13. At this moment, capacitor parts C3 and C4 receive power from resistors.

The signal from the controller goes through a differential circuit and is ultimately supplied to the DD1.1 input. Since it is a one-shot device, it results in switching of the device. Then C1 is overdischarged in the circuit, which again contributes to switching the trigger.

Element DD1.1 will respond to pulses supplied from the controller, thus generating new rectangular pulses at the first pin. In the case of the second one-shot DD1.2, the principle of operation will be identical - thanks to this device, the pulse duration at pin 13 is reduced by 10 times. This element operates under a load supplied from the amplifier stage of transistors, which open for the duration of the pulse. Thanks to the resistor components R6, R7 and R8, the current is limited, its value in total should not exceed 0.8 amperes.

The current value is not high, this is due to the following factors:

  • the pulse duration is no more than 1 second;
  • Usually, car owners need no more than 10 minutes to set up the OZ; during this time the crystals will not overheat;
  • diodes used today have improved performance and features when compared to devices used more than 10 years ago.

Printed circuit board and assembly parts

In order to build a strobe light with your own hands, you will need a board with all the necessary elements.

As an example:

  1. On the board we are considering, the diode function is performed by the KD2999V controller. In principle, you can use any other one, you just need to take into account that the diode element must have a minimum voltage drop.
  2. Capacitors are also used. It is important that they are rated at 0.068 µF. As for the main capacitor device C1, it is a high-voltage part, the voltage on which is 400 V.
  3. The trigger device - TM2 - has excellent resistance to possible interference.
  4. It is necessary that the transistors used VT1, as well as VT2, have a high gain.
  5. As for the diodes marked with the symbols HL1-HL9, they should have maximum brightness, and it is also desirable that the dispersion angle be small. Diode components are mounted on a separate circuit; their number should be 3 in a row.

Device setup nuances

Before using a homemade strobe light on a car, it must be configured correctly. Initially, you should adjust the trimming resistor component, this will make it possible to provide the desired visual effect. As you move the slider, you can see that due to the drop in pulse, the illumination of the marks will be ineffective, and if the pulse is too high, the lighting will be washed out. At this stage, you need to correctly adjust the effectiveness of the light flashes (video shot by Serj ZP).

Installation of UOZ with a strobe light

How to use a homemade device to adjust the OZ:

  1. First you need to start the engine and warm it up to operating temperature. To do this, let the unit run at idle speed.
  2. Then you will need to connect the homemade device to a power source. This can be either a built-in battery or a car battery.
  3. Next, a copper sensor should be connected to the core of cylinder 1; to do this, wind it around the core.
  4. After this, the diode light bulb should be aimed at the mark marked on the housing of the distribution mechanism.
  5. When these steps are completed, you need to find a fixed point, it is located on the flywheel pulley.
  6. In order to ensure that these points coincide, you need to rotate the switchgear housing. And when the points coincide, the body must be fixed in this position. When the points match, the diodes should light up.

How to make a device yourself?

Today, there are many different options for making a strobe light. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with one of the simplest and least costly manufacturing methods.

To implement it you will need the following components:

  • transistor device KT315;
  • thyristor element KU112A, as well as resistor components rated at 0.125 W;
  • diode light bulbs or a flashlight with LEDs, which will be used as a housing, and the number of diode elements must be at least 6 pieces;
  • capacitor devices C1;
  • V2 in the diagram is the low frequency diode component;
  • you will also need a relay, its index should be RWH-SH-112D;
  • power cable, its length must be at least one meter;
  • clamps;
  • You will also need a piece of copper wire approximately 10 cm long.

All these components can be purchased at any themed store or radio market.

How to build such a device yourself:

  1. To begin with, you should drill a hole on the back side of the prepared case, through which you will lay the power cable.
  2. Then the prepared clamps must be soldered to the ends of the prepared cords. It is advisable to mark on them in advance which will be positive and which will be negative; it will be better if the colors of the clamps are different.
  3. The sensor itself is mounted on the left or right side of the housing. Another hole needs to be made on the side of the case; it will be used to lay the cord to contact X1.
  4. Then a prepared piece of copper wire should be soldered to the main cable core. This wire is considered one of the main ones, since it will be used as a device sensor.
  5. All that remains is to insulate the connections with electrical tape or heat pipes.

Photo gallery “Assembling a strobe light with your own hands”

Conclusion

As you can see, in general, building such a device is not a problem. It is enough to have some knowledge in the field of electronics and follow the steps described in the instructions. If you make mistakes during assembly, the device may not work correctly. If you do not have experience in making such devices, then it may make sense to think about buying a new strobe light.

Strobe for installing the ignition: how to use the circuit

With a strobe light, setting the ignition on a carburetor engine is always much more convenient than “by ear.” But the price tags for such equipment sometimes “bite,” which pushes many motorists to alternative solutions to this issue, for example, by making a strobe light with their own hands.

Average price of a factory product and its disadvantages

The factory version of the device has some disadvantages that significantly reduce the usefulness of such an acquisition.

It is always more convenient to set the ignition on carburetors with a strobe light

Firstly, the cost of factory stroboscopes is quite considerable. So the digital model Multitronics C2 will cost the buyer about 900-1000 rubles. The more functional AstroL5 strobe will cost 1,300 rubles. Focus F1 - a model suitable for servicing both gasoline and diesel engines - will require 1,700 rubles. its more “advanced” brother Focus F10 - 5600 rub.

Secondly, manufacturers often use an expensive gas-discharge lamp in the design of their products. It has a limited resource and may require replacement after a short time, which will not only hurt your pocket, but will be tantamount to buying a new strobe light.

How much will a homemade strobe light cost to adjust the ignition?

Based on the above disadvantages of a store-bought strobe. It seems appropriate to conclude that it is advisable to manufacture such equipment at home. Moreover, it is much more convenient and cheaper to equip it with affordable LEDs, which cost mere pennies. For such purposes, a cheap laser pointer, flashlight, etc. is quite suitable as a donor.

In the same way, there will be no problems with other components, as well as tools. The total budget for the venture should not be more than 100-150 rubles.

Video tutorial on setting up ignition with a strobe light

How to make a strobe light with your own hands

There can be many options for designing a “home” strobe. However, in general, all such projects are structurally similar. Let's look at the principle of assembling this gadget using the following example.

  • transistor KT315 (you can find it in any radio equipment of a bygone era, it can have different letter indices);
  • thyristor KU112A (easy to find in the switching power supply of ancient TVs);
  • small-sized resistors with a power of 0.125 W;
  • a cheap (Chinese) flashlight with diodes (the number of diodes may vary, but better - from 6 to 10 pieces);
  • capacitor C1 for voltage from 16 Volts;
  • diode V2 - any low-frequency, for example KD105 or D9;
  • small-sized relay (index BS-115-12A-DC12V or RWH-SH-112D, 12 Ampere, coil - 12 Volt); however, you can also use domestic relays, for example, type RES-10, with a coil voltage of 12 Volts;
  • power wires of the required length (about 0.5-0.6 m) and alligator clips for connecting the strobe to the battery;
  • shielded wire up to 0.5 m, a piece of copper wire about 10 cm.

How to connect everything, strobe diagram

Strobe connection diagram

All the main parts of the device can be conveniently placed directly in the body of a pocket flashlight or a regular camera flash. At the same time, power wires pass through the rear hole of the flashlight (photoflash); at the ends they have soldered crocodile terminals of different colors or with markings (so as not to confuse “plus” and “minus”). A hole is drilled in the side wall of the housing (if it is missing) to route a shielded wire through it to pin X1. The braiding of this cable at the end must be insulated; a piece of copper wire about 0.1 m long must be soldered to the main core - this is a strobe sensor.

The operation of a strobe to set the ignition from a flashlight or flashlight

According to the diagram, after connecting the power wires to the battery, capacitor C1 begins to quickly charge through resistor R3. Upon reaching a certain degree of charge, the voltage through resistor R4 and the LEDs begins to flow to the base of the opening transistor. At this moment, relay P1 should operate. By closing, the relay contact prepares a circuit that consists of a thyristor, relay contact P1, LEDs and capacitor C1. Through dividers R1 and R2, the control electrode of the thyristor receives a pulse from contact X1.

The thyristor opens, resulting in a rapid discharge of the capacitor through the LEDs. A bright flash of a flashlight is observed.

By means of resistor R4 and a thyristor, the base of the transistor is connected to the common wire, which causes the transistor to close and the relay to turn off. At the same time, the glow period of the LEDs increases by several milliseconds due to the fact that the contact does not open immediately - due to the slight inertia and residual magnetization of the relay armature. After the contact opens, the thyristor is de-energized. The electrical circuit returns to its original state until a new impulse passes. By changing the capacitance of the capacitor used, you can change the glow time of the LEDs: more capacitance means they glow longer and brighter, but the trail from the mark on the flywheel is more noticeable.

How to use this strobe light

Using a garage-made strobe, you can easily and with great accuracy:

  • set the ignition on a carburetor engine;
  • check the spark plug or ignition coil;
  • check the operation of the centrifugal and vacuum ignition timing regulator.

Homemade strobe is cheaper and more reliable

In order for the ignition timing to be set correctly, it is necessary to assume that the mixture is usually ignited a couple of degrees before the piston reaches the top stroke point. This angle is called the “ignition timing angle”. As the crankshaft speed increases, the SOP should also increase along a given curve. As a result, the advance angle is set at idle and then controlled in all engine operating ranges up to 5000 rpm.

When connecting a strobe, you need to wind its sensor (copper wire) directly onto the sheath of the high-voltage wire of the first cylinder of the internal combustion engine. Three or four turns will be enough. In this case, it is necessary to fix the wire in this way as close to the spark plug as possible - in order to minimize the influence of neighboring wires on the operation of the strobe. To power the device, its wires with “crocodiles” cling to the terminals of the battery. For better visibility, you will also have to additionally mark the flywheel mark with a white dot - paint or, for example, a clerical touch.

  1. Start the engine and warm it up to operating temperature, leaving it idling between 600-800 rpm.
  2. Connect the strobe power wires.
  3. Wind the copper sensor wire onto the armor wire of the first cylinder.
  4. Point a flashlight, flash, laser, etc. to a fixed mark (located on the timing case).
  5. Then find the same moving point on the flywheel pulley.
  6. If the moment is violated, the moving and static marks will be relatively far from each other.
  7. By rotating the ignition distributor housing, ensure that the marks match and fix the distributor in this position.
  8. Next, you need to briefly raise the speed, as a result of which the marks will diverge again. But that's okay. In this mode, the ignition is set earlier. To check this indicator, a pair of fixed marks are provided - after 5 degrees of ignition timing.
  9. For 3 thousand rpm, the SOP in the case of VAZ engines is 15-17 degrees.
  10. To check the serviceability of the spark plug, alternately wind the copper wire onto the high-voltage wires and see if there are any missing pulses. A lower frequency of LED flashes will indicate a misfire, “punching” the spark plug onto the body.

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The correct operation of a car engine depends on how the ignition is set. This is due to the fact that the combustible mixture entering the combustion chamber must be completely ignited. To install the ignition, a strobe light is used, which you can make yourself or purchase at a specialized store. We will discuss below how easy it is to make a strobe light for installing the ignition with your own hands.

The purpose of the strobe, the parts that will be needed for its manufacture

The strobe light for installing the ignition is used so that the car enthusiast can adjust the correctness and timeliness of the supply of electric current, which forms a spark. It serves to ignite the incendiary mixture in the combustion chamber of the cylinders of gasoline power units.

The correct operation of the motor and its power depend on the timeliness of its supply. Therefore, correctly set ignition is necessary for the power unit to work well.

In specialized stores, this device costs from 1,000 to 7,000 rubles. Therefore, in order to save money, it is better to make a homemade strobe light to install the ignition with your own hands. To assemble it (I did it myself), you will need to spend up to 500 rubles.

In general, a strobe light is a simple circuit and design. It is based on the principle of the effect of a spark on the ice of a light bulb, which can be taken from any flashlight. Thus, it is easy to set the ignition angle, which will ideally meet the requirements for timely and complete ignition of the fuel mixture.

Let's look at the list of parts that you will need to easily make your own strobe light:

  • transistor marked KT 315;
  • thyristor, which is marked KU 112 A;
  • copper wires;
  • flashlight with diode bulbs (there should be at least 6 of them, more possible);
  • timer, used for some homemade strobes;
  • low-frequency diode marked V 2;
  • resistors, with a power of 0.125 W;
  • a relay that has the index RWH/SH-112D;
  • 1 meter long cord to power the device;
  • base for collecting the microcircuit, made of insulating special material;
  • special terminals (clamps).

Here are the components you will need to install the strobe light yourself. They can be purchased in special stores or at radio markets.

The circuit of the simplest strobe looks like this:

It is important to remember that to make this device it is best to take the body of a simple diode flashlight, or from a flashlight. All the parts will fit there, including the microcircuit on which the parts will be located.

Strobe assembly

The assembly process takes place at home using a soldering iron, using the following algorithm (the body of the flashlight is taken as a basis):

  • drilling a hole on the back wall of the flashlight body, this is necessary in order to route the power cord;
  • soldered to the ends of the cord special terminals, the main thing is not to confuse the polarity (they are taken in different colors);
  • sensor placement on the right or left side of the body;
  • drilling a hole, it is done at the location of the sensor, a cord is inserted into it (a cord is laid), which is connected to contact X 1, indicated in the diagram;
  • assembling a microcircuit, this is done according to the above scheme, using a soldering iron (if the car enthusiast is not good at assembling such circuits, then he needs to contact a specialist in this field);
  • soldering copper wire to the main core of the wire, it will serve as a special strobe sensor;
  • insulation of all connections special tape.

Here's how to make a strobe light with your hands with the lowest financial costs.

It is important to remember that such a device can be used not only for setting the ignition, but also for checking spark plugs and adjusting the regulator. That's how many useful functions it can perform for a car enthusiast.

Types of homemade stroboscopes

Above is a diagram and algorithm for creating a simple strobe light. Some craftsmen also recommend making such devices based on a timer or LEDs.

Let's look at the strobe circuit, which includes a timer:

This design is more complex, so if a car enthusiast thinks that he cannot assemble it on his own, it is better to contact a specialist and purchase all the necessary parts. If there is no domestically produced timer, it can be replaced with a foreign one, which must be marked NE 555. And it is better to use diodes for such a circuit with the designation KD 521.

It is interesting to know that having made such a device with a timer, you can install a regulator on it, by switching which it will begin to work like a tachometer. At the same time, even a weak battery charge will not affect its operation.

Now let's look at a circuit that allows you to make a strobe using LEDs. It should be noted right away that they are characterized by increased reliability; it can be used even in bright daylight.

The diagram of such a strobe is as follows:

The entire circuit will be based on a microcircuit marked 155 AG 1, which can be triggered by pulses that have negative polarity. Resistances suitable for it are R 1, R 2, R 3, resistor R 6. Resistances limit the amplitude of the incoming signal, and capacitance C 4 regulates the duration of the signal coming from the motor.

Setting up the strobe

After this device is manufactured, it needs to be configured. It happens this way:

  • the engine is warming up, it needs to be started, warmed up, and then switched to idle mode;
  • The strobe is connected by terminals to the battery;
  • a copper wire (sensor) is wound around the core of the cylinder;
  • the light that will be created is directed to a special point marked on the body;
  • find a fixed plane (point) on the motor flywheel;
  • Rotate the body of the ignition element so that the two points coincide, and then fix it in this place.

After these manipulations, the device is ready to perform its functions. The main thing is not to violate this installation order.

You can make a strobe light for setting the ignition yourself by purchasing the necessary parts. After that, it is customized and will serve the car enthusiast no worse than those sold in stores. In addition to setting the ignition, such devices, made using a timer or LED lights, can perform other useful functions.