I Ran My Pulse Motor Mayhem Workshop Build – Here’s What Happened

Hook

I just finished a pulse motor mayhem workshop run that lit a 1000 W bulb and hit almost 3000 RPM on 8.8 volts in. The peaks went over twelve thousand volts. Not bad for a quick bench session.

Watch this experiment

I spin up the rotor with a simple North-South magnet arrangement, take tach and multimeter readings, fire the light, then cut the power and watch how long the bulb stays lit. You see the voltage climb, the speed build, and the moment I had to kill the supply because it was climbing too fast.

What you'll learn

How a small dual-drive pulse motor behaves under load, what voltages and RPM I actually measured, how the light behaves after power is removed, and why I think a cascading effect is happening between the coils.

From the bench

I’m sitting at the workbench with the rotor already balanced. North-South arrangement on the wheel. The light comes on almost immediately. Before it even gets up to speed the meter is already showing good numbers. I had to pause once because the cat jumped on the table and I didn’t want the clips to short at these voltages.

First run: over 1000 V peak, then the memory function on the meter climbed to almost 12,000 V. Tach divided by four reads a little under 3000 RPM. That’s with the light on. I turn the light off and the voltage shoots higher. With the load it settles around 76–78 V. The bulb is rated as 1000 W equivalent but only needs about 77 V to run bright.

How it works / what we changed

I’m feeding 8.8 V and seeing 300 V off the pickup. The two drive coils seem to help each other – maybe a slight timing overlap that lets the speed build on itself until the caps or the supply limit it. When I increase to 13 V the motor revs even harder and I hear it accelerating. I had to check that everything was still mechanically tight afterward.

It runs the light for about 30 seconds after I cut the input power. That’s decent stored energy for this size build. I mention that going to a 2.5-inch rotor with only one North and one South magnet would probably let it spin even faster.

Pulse motor workshop run

This entire video is one continuous pulse motor workshop run. I start at low voltage, bring the light on, watch the tach and multimeter in real time, cut power to see how long the bulb glows, then increase voltage and let it rev higher. All the numbers you hear – 8.8 V in, 300 V out, 3000 RPM, 12k peak, 77 V on the bulb – come straight from that single workshop run on the bench.

Builder checklist

• North-South magnet rotor (can go smaller with 1N1S for more speed)
• Dual drive coils with slight timing overlap
• Multimeter set for peak and AC volts
• Tachometer (remember to divide by four for true RPM)
• 1000 W-equivalent bulb for load test
• Check mechanical fasteners after high-RPM runs
• Keep cats off the table when voltages are high

Troubleshooting

If voltage climbs too fast, cut power immediately like I did. If the light dims below 70 V the output is dropping. Make sure clips aren’t touching. If the rotor feels like it wants to run on its own at 8.8 V, that’s normal for this build – just monitor it.

Safety

These voltages are no joke. I killed the power quick when it hit 12k. Always watch your meter and be ready to disconnect. Keep animals and conductive objects away from the bench while running. I double-checked everything was still tight after the fast revs.

FAQ

How long did the light stay on after power off?

About 30 seconds with the load connected.

What input voltage gave the highest peaks?

I saw over 12,000 V on the memory function during the higher voltage run.

Did you measure exact RPM?

Tach read a little under 3000 after dividing by four.

Will a smaller rotor go faster?

I think a 2.5-inch rotor with one North and one South magnet would spin quicker.

Is this free energy?

No – I’m supplying 8.8–13 V and measuring the output under load. It’s an efficient electromagnetic setup that also stores some energy in the system.

Related on this site

• How to Build a Pulse Motor: Parts, Coil Gap, First Spin
• Pulse Motor Rotor Design: Magnets, Materials and Balance
• Pulse Motor vs Bedini Motor: What's the Difference?
• How to Maximize RPM on Your Pulse Motor
• Understanding Back EMF in Pulse Motors

Watch this experiment on YouTube

• ▶ Watch full on YouTube