transistor to work with a joule theif

[Dwight Elvey]

if i had the pins wrong, wouldn't the transistor get hot when voltage was applied?

No, it may not do anything, depending on exactly how it is wrong.


That may be why it isn't working. however, i am no electronics engineer and can't figure out waht anything is on an electrics diagram like that.

Examine the picture carefully as to how they connected the wires. Note that they used wire of two different colors to know what to cross.


maybe. i have a bunch of other size resitors here i can use; i was just using a 1K resistor.


nope, i've tried the LED both ways and it still didn't come on.

If you were using a blue LED, it may have been damaged by a back current.
They are not as forgiving as your everyday red LED.
Dwight

 

[linuxlove]

i've been using a green LED. i'll also have to check what you've said dwight and learn how to read electronic diagrams. also, i found a board that has a couple of 2N transistors on a PCB that came from a flashlight.