I Finally Got My Pulse Motor Running (26AWG Litz Pickup)

Hook

I hooked up a 26AWG Litz wire coil as a pickup on my pulse motor and watched the meter climb to 220mA while the heavy rotor kept spinning fast. The cap bank lights glowed bright off that thin wire – pretty surprising for 26 gauge.

Watch this experiment

I started with 1.5 volts into the cap bank, plugged in one 16AWG dual-drive coil, then both. The rotor took off and I measured the output from the Litz coil on the DC side. One magnet was loose and taped in place so I kept the speed reasonable at first. You can hear the change when I disconnect and reconnect the drive – the wheel stays spinning fast and the voltage on the cap bank jumps up to around 8-9 volts. The lights on the cap bank are lit up from the energy coming off the Litz pickup.

What you'll learn

You’ll see real current and voltage numbers from a thin Litz wire used as a pickup, how the dual-drive 16 gauge coil handles a heavy 9-magnet rotor, and why I’m already thinking about winding a bigger 32 gauge coil next. We also talk about using one strand of the Litz to help power the cap bank and the other for triggering.

From the bench

The Litz is 12 strands of 26 gauge twisted together and connected half-and-half in series so I could treat one part as trigger and one as drive. Right now both halves are wired as pickup. The meter on the DC end of the cap bank showed the harvested energy. With the rotor spinning I saw the voltage sit around 9 volts and the current stabilize near 200 milliamps, peaking at 220. The wheel is heavy but it looks smooth from above – the splattered paint pattern turns into something that looks like butter when it’s up to speed.

How it works / what we changed

I’m using the 16AWG trifilar coil in dual-drive mode to keep the rotor moving. The Litz pickup sits opposite and feeds energy back into the cap bank. We started at 1.5 volts input, climbed quickly once the rotor was up to speed. I pulled the drive briefly and the voltage dropped but the wheel kept going. Reconnecting brought it back up to 8 volts fast. The goal is to have one part of the Litz coil power the cap bank while the other strand runs the circuit or provides the trigger signal, possibly swapping the signal generator for the base trigger later.

reed switch motor

I’ve run reed switch motor versions before and this test makes me think about going back to a simple reed setup. The Litz pickup gave clean output without adding much drag, which is the kind of behavior you want when the reed switch is handling the timing. The fast spin and steady 200-plus milliamp reading suggest a reed switch motor could stay efficient with this pickup coil.

how to build a pulse motor

To build something like this you start with a rotor that has evenly spaced magnets – here we used nine, though one was loose and taped. Wind your drive coil (16AWG trifilar in this case) and position a pickup coil (the 26AWG Litz) so it catches the changing magnetic field. Hook the pickup to a cap bank or load and measure what comes out. Keep the input voltage low at first, watch for loose magnets, and adjust until the rotor spins smoothly while producing usable current.

diy pulse motor

This whole setup is a diy pulse motor I put together on the bench. The 16AWG dual drive coil pushes the heavy rotor and the Litz wire coil harvests energy as a pickup. No fancy parts – just twisted Litz, some magnets, a cap bank, and meters. I’m already planning the next winding so it stays a true garage diy pulse motor project.

how does a pulse motor work

A pulse motor works by pulsing current through the drive coil at the right moment so the magnets on the rotor get a push. The moving magnets then induce voltage in the pickup coil. In this test the 16AWG coils provide the drive pulses while the Litz coil turns that motion into measurable current – we saw up to 220mA at around 9-10 volts. The cap bank stores that energy and the lights show it’s real power coming back.

pulse motor coil

The pulse motor coil doing the pickup work here is 12-strand 26AWG Litz wired half-and-half in series. Even though it’s thin wire I got nearly 220 milliamps out of it while the rotor spun fast. That’s way more than I expected from 26 gauge. The 16AWG trifilar coil handles the drive side and the Litz sits in the sweet spot to catch the magnetic field from the nine magnets.

simple pulse motor

This is a simple pulse motor at heart – one rotor, a drive coil, a pickup coil, and a cap bank. No complicated circuitry in this particular run. The dual-drive 16 gauge coil keeps it spinning and the Litz pickup gives clean output. If you want to start small, this style of simple pulse motor with separate drive and pickup coils is a good way to see real numbers quickly.

homemade pulse motor

My homemade pulse motor uses a heavy rotor with nine magnets (one loose and taped), a 16AWG dual-drive coil, and the 26AWG Litz as pickup. I’m measuring directly off the cap bank DC side and watching the voltage and current climb. The whole thing was built on the bench and the video shows exactly what it looks like when it’s running well. I love how the painted rotor looks when it’s up to speed.

pulse motor for beginners

If you’re into pulse motor for beginners this test is useful because the numbers are easy to see: 1.5 V start, 9-10 V on the cap, 200-220 mA from a thin Litz pickup. You don’t need expensive parts. Watch how the loose magnet affects things, see how fast the voltage recovers, and you’ll get a feel for what works. Start with a simple rotor and separate drive and pickup coils like we did here.

Builder checklist

• 9-magnet rotor (check all magnets are secure)
• 16AWG trifilar dual-drive coil positioned correctly
• 12-strand 26AWG Litz wired half-and-half in series for pickup
• Cap bank with visible LEDs or meter on DC side
• Current meter on the pickup output
• Start at low voltage (1.5 V) and increase slowly
• Have a way to disconnect drive coils safely during tests

Troubleshooting

If the rotor slows down fast, check for the loose magnet – one was taped in place and limited top speed. Current readings can jump around; I saw 129 mA then settled near 200 mA. If the cap bank voltage drops quickly after disconnecting the drive, the pickup may need repositioning closer to the magnets. The Litz is thin so don’t expect huge power if the rotor isn’t up to speed.

Safety

Keep speeds reasonable when a magnet is loose – I took it easy so nothing flew out. Watch your cap bank voltage so it doesn’t climb too high for the components you’re using. Always disconnect power before rewiring the Litz strands from pickup to trigger/drive mode. Wear eye protection around spinning rotors with taped magnets.

FAQ

How much current did the Litz pickup really give?

We saw roughly 198-220 mA at around 9 volts once the rotor was stable.

Why use Litz wire for the pickup?

It’s 26 gauge so I wasn’t expecting much, but the multiple strands gave decent output with low drag.

Can one coil both drive and pick up?

I’m planning to try using one half of the Litz for powering the cap bank and the other strand as trigger.

Will a 32 gauge coil work better?

It should give higher voltage but probably lower current – that’s the next test.

Is this the same as a reed switch motor?

Not yet – this run used the dual-drive coil, but the clean pickup output makes me want to try a reed switch version soon.

Related on this site

• How to Build a Pulse Motor: Complete Beginner's Guide
• Pulse Motors for Beginners: Start Here
• How to Wind Coils for a Pulse Motor (Step by Step)
• Best Wire Gauge for Pulse Motor Coils (AWG Guide)
• Pulse Motor Rotor Design: Magnets, Materials and Balance

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