I Made Some Minor Adjustments and My Hall Effect Sensor Pulse Motor Runs Better

Hook

I dropped the voltage on this pulse motor down to 1.74 volts after some minor adjustments and extra graphite lubricant. The hall effect sensor is finally happy and the whole thing spins with way less friction.

Watch this experiment

I show the levitation discs floating, the clamp setup, and the motor running at super low power. You can see the off-balance grab every once in a while but it keeps going.

What you'll learn

How small friction fixes make a huge difference on a homemade pulse motor. Plus some crazy ideas about using Tesla coils for magnetic levitation on vehicles.

From the bench

I’m sitting here with the six-inch disc on top and another underneath clamping the Murray disc. Added graphite lubricant in all the halls and on the contact points. The motor is now running at 1.74 volts. It’s not screaming fast but the friction is way down and it’s stable.

How it works / what we changed

The levitation discs use magnet arrays that make the rotor float. They’re a little off balance so they need to grab full every once in a while so they don’t fall. Nothing says there can’t be a shaft in there but the shaftless version is really cool. I changed the lubrication and the clamping pressure and the whole thing smoothed out.

reed switch motor

I was thinking about reed switch motor designs while working on this. If you can polarize a wire north or south then a reed switch motor should keep moving as long as the reed switch is working. I contrasted it with my current hall effect sensor setup which gives cleaner timing at these low voltages.

reed switch

The reed switch keeps coming up in my head because it could trigger the coil on a polarized Tesla coil setup. As long as that reed switch is working the motor should continue to move. I haven’t swapped one in yet but it’s on the list for future tests against the hall effect sensor.

how to build a pulse motor

When people ask how to build a pulse motor I always say start simple. Get a rotor with magnets, a coil, a sensor or switch, and a battery. In this build I focused on the levitation discs and friction reduction after the basic circuit was already running. Add graphite lube and watch the voltage drop.

diy pulse motor

This whole thing is a diy pulse motor experiment. I’m using whatever magnets and discs I have on the bench. The hall effect sensor triggers the pulse, the coil kicks the rotor, and the levitation arrays let it float with almost no friction once the graphite is in place.

how does a pulse motor work

So how does a pulse motor work? The hall effect sensor sees the magnet, triggers the coil to give a push, the rotor spins, and the cycle repeats. In this version the levitation discs reduce mechanical drag so the coil doesn’t have to work as hard. That’s why we’re down at 1.74 volts.

pulse motor coil

I keep thinking about the pulse motor coil and how it could be polarized north or south. If you can do that with a Tesla coil then you could create a magnetic pillow for levitation. My current coil is just doing simple pulsing but the idea of directional arrays is stuck in my head.

simple pulse motor

This is a simple pulse motor at heart. One coil, hall effect sensor, magnet rotor, and levitation discs. No fancy driver chips, just basic on-off pulsing. The minor adjustments to friction turned it from sticky to smooth at low voltage.

homemade pulse motor

My homemade pulse motor is still evolving. I started with more magnets and higher power. Now I’m removing friction instead of adding power. The levitation discs and graphite lube are the latest chapter. One day I want to try full shaftless levitation on a bigger scale.

Builder checklist

• Check all bearing surfaces and apply graphite lubricant
• Align levitation discs so they float with minimal contact
• Verify hall effect sensor is triggering cleanly at low voltage
• Make sure magnet arrays on rotor and stator are properly spaced
• Have a way to occasionally recenter off-balance discs

Troubleshooting

If your rotor keeps falling out of levitation, the arrays might be too far off balance. Add a light shaft or adjust the clamp pressure. If voltage won’t drop, double-check for binding in the halls and add more graphite.

Safety

These spinning discs can grab fingers. Keep hands clear. Lithium batteries can be used but watch for heat in the coil. Tesla coil ideas are just concepts — don’t mess with high voltage unless you know exactly what you’re doing.

FAQ

Q: What voltage is it running at now?

A: 1.74 volts after the graphite fix.

Q: Are you using a reed switch or hall effect sensor?

A: Hall effect sensor on this build. Reed switch is still on my mind for Tesla coil experiments.

Q: Can this actually levitate a vehicle?

A: It’s a fun idea using magnet arrays and polarized Tesla coils but a lot of engineering would be needed.

Related on this site

• How to Build a Pulse Motor: Complete Beginner’s Guide
• Using a Hall Effect Sensor in Your Pulse Motor Build
• I Finally Got My Pulse Motor Running (Reed Switch)
• DIY Low Cost Pulse Motor Build with 16AWG Coil
• Understanding Magnetic Friction in Pulse Motors

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