The simplest inverter without transistors

You only need two components to build a simple inverter that converts 12V DC to 220V AC.
The simplest inverter without transistors

Absolutely no expensive or scarce elements or parts. Everything can be assembled in 5 minutes! You don't even need to solder! I twisted it with wire and that was it.

What do you need for an inverter?


  • Transformer from a receiver, tape recorder, center, etc. One mains winding is 220 V, the other is 12 V.
  • 12 V relays. These are used in many places.
  • Wires for connection.
  • Load in the form of a light bulb.

The simplest inverter without transistors

The simplest inverter without transistors

Inverter assembly


It all comes down to connecting the relay and transformer as follows. First of all, we put a load in the form of an LED light bulb on the network winding of the transformer - this will be the output of the inverter.
Then we connect the low-voltage winding in parallel with the relay. Now one contact goes to power the battery, and the second is connected to another contact of the battery, but only through a closed relay contact. Plus or minus doesn't matter.
The simplest inverter without transistors

The simplest inverter without transistors

The simplest inverter without transistors

All! Your inverter is ready! Super easy!
We connect it to the battery - we have it as a 12 V source and the 220 V lamp begins to glow. At the same time, you hear a squeak from the relay.
The simplest inverter without transistors

The simplest inverter without transistors

How does this inverter work?


It's very simple: when you connect the power, all the voltage goes through the closed contacts on the relay. The relay operates and the contacts open. As a result, the power to the relay is turned off and it brings the contacts back to closed. As a result, the cycle repeats. And since a step-up transformer is connected in parallel to the relay, powerful pulses of constant on-off are supplied to it and converted into alternating high-voltage current. The frequency of such a converter ranges from 60-70 Hz.
Of course, such an inverter is not durable - sooner or later the relay will fail, but it’s not a pity - it costs a penny or is even free if you take the old one. And the output voltage in terms of the type of current and the spread is simply terrible. But this simple converter can help you out in some serious situation.

Watch the video of making the inverter


come back

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Comments (18)
  1. Sergey K
    #1 Sergey K Visitors 16 February 2018 23:39
    8
    I wonder how long this scheme will work?!
    I just remember making some kind of poster-scheme for the exhibition, just on the relays, something like running lights, they showed something beautiful there.And just when there was an exhibition, these relays stopped working :( In general, it turned out that during long-term operation, SOVIET relays with SILVER contacts lasted no more than a day! The contacts simply burned out from switching high currents and were replaced. So next time the manager had to look for thyristors, which were in short supply at that time;)
    1. Guest Vladimir
      #2 Guest Vladimir Guests 17 February 2018 13:01
      6
      I chose the wrong relay. At our work, many people made running lights for themselves using the RES-6 relay, several NG (Novy Gol) worked.
      1. Guest Andrey
        #3 Guest Andrey Guests 18 February 2018 11:05
        2
        At one time I made running lights on a step finder
      2. Alexander
        #4 Alexander Guests February 22, 2018 07:03
        1
        Don't confuse this pattern with Christmas tree lights. Here the contacts will burn out from switching an inductive load and a high switching frequency. Of course, vibration converters were used in battery-powered lamp technology - but these were not ordinary relays, but specially designed devices.
  2. Guest Andrey
    #5 Guest Andrey Guests February 17, 2018 06:47
    6
    What kind of inverter is this? An ordinary "vibrator"; approximately the same ones, only in sealed “vacuum” cases, were installed in portable army “backpack” tube radio stations. The response frequency is determined by the stiffness of the return spring.
    In the presence of oxygen, the contacts of any relay quickly burn out.
  3. guest
    #6 guest Guests 17 February 2018 12:17
    2
    you need to connect a condenser of about 0.01-0.1 uF in parallel to the contacts; the contacts will last longer, according to the operating principle of the distributor of an old car
  4. Guest Andrey
    #7 Guest Andrey Guests 17 February 2018 13:16
    2
    Are uninterruptible power supplies with dead batteries already running out? :)
  5. Evgeny Shevchenko
    #8 Evgeny Shevchenko Guests 18 February 2018 21:00
    8
    It was the first time I encountered such a thing in the army.In the GAZ 66 with a gasoline heater, the kung is used to ignite the mixture using a regular car spark plug. The principle of converting direct voltage is the same, only in place of the light bulb - a step-up secondary winding of the coil with output to the spark plug. The primary winding did not work for long - the relay was stuck, but in the conditions of the test site it was restored from available spare parts. The relay will work better in a vacuum.
  6. Zakhar
    #9 Zakhar Guests 27 February 2018 17:08
    3
    Is it really that difficult to lay out a diagram?!
  7. Vitaly
    #10 Vitaly Guests March 15, 2018 00:36
    0
    good old umformer
  8. Guest Sergey
    #11 Guest Sergey Guests 17 March 2018 15:07
    0
    conventional vibration transducer of the USSR type VPM-2R and similar ones
  9. Jiexa
    #12 Jiexa Guests 8 June 2018 23:20
    3
    why did they stick to the relay, judging by the transic P on the secondary 12v * 0.2A = 2.4 W, on the primary, taking into account losses, we will get even less, as I understand the author connected a lamp to the primary, there is 220, although in reality it will be less. WHAT KIND OF LAMP IS THIS LIGHT? at first in the photo it’s LED, but the light is incandescent and not 2 W... We’re tired of littering the Internet with either an extension cord or a magnet with 3 turns of wire. the lamp glows, etc. scavengers!!!
  10. Guest Alex
    #13 Guest Alex Guests 15 October 2018 17:07
    2
    the lightbulb couldn't stand the bullying