DIY pulse motor FAQ

A pulse motor is an electric motor driven by timed electrical pulses rather than continuous current. Brief bursts through a coil attract or repel permanent magnets on a spinning rotor, creating rotation with strong educational and experimental value.

A trigger sensor (Hall effect, reed switch, or feedback coil) detects an approaching rotor magnet and fires a transistor. The transistor pulses current through a coil, kicking the magnet, then shuts off so the rotor can coast to the next magnet. Timing is everything.

Not exactly. A Bedini motor is a famous subtype of pulse motor (often the SSG circuit with bifilar coils). All Bedini motors are pulse motors; not all pulse motors are Bedini motors.

With a back-EMF recovery circuit, a secondary battery can collect energy from the coil collapse spike. This improves system bookkeeping — it does not create energy from nothing. Measure carefully; surface charge can mislead.

Back EMF is the reverse voltage spike when coil current is interrupted. Unmanaged, it can destroy transistors. Managed with recovery diodes, it becomes captured energy and a core teaching topic of the hobby.

A basic build typically costs $20–$60 depending on what you already own. Magnets, magnet wire, a transistor, and a 12V source are the main expenses.

Enamel magnet wire. 20AWG is a great first choice. 16AWG hits hard with fewer turns. 22–26AWG enables more turns and interesting pickup/BEMF experiments. Litz wire helps on higher-frequency pickups.

No. Overunity claims don't survive careful measurement. Pulse motors are fascinating because of efficiency tricks, timing, and electromagnetism — not because they break physics.

MPH's Pulse Motor Lab (@MPHJR) is this workshop site and YouTube channel for DIY pulse motors. Papa Bale's videos already posted here stay as published while the rest of that library is added.

Papa Bale is the experimenter behind the existing pulse motor videos already on this site. Those pages stay as originally published. The lab channel is now @MPHJR.

A Hall- or reed-triggered single-coil motor for clarity, or a Bedini SSG if you want the largest community documentation. Either can be weekend-scale under $50.

TIP31C for first experiments, 2N3055 for classic SSG power, MOSFETs for fast high-RPM switching. Always use a heatsink.

Yes. Breadboards, screw terminals, and clip leads work for learning. Permanent soldered builds come later.

Subscribe free on YouTube @MPHJR, then join membership for Discord access, exclusive videos, and live shoutouts.

The site notes are companions. Full-length YouTube runs include complete bench audio, timing, and experiments. Watching full videos on YouTube (and queueing the next one) is the free way to support the channel through ads.

Members-only videos and WIPs, private Discord with the lab and builders, and live stream shoutouts. Billed through YouTube — cancel anytime. Public long-form videos stay free.

No. The public long-form library is free on YouTube. Membership is optional support for people who want extras (Discord, exclusive cuts). Watching full free videos is already a huge help.

Open the @MPHJR YouTube channel membership page (Join button), pick the $2.99 tier, and confirm through YouTube/Google. You can cancel anytime in YouTube membership settings.