Lee Crock

[poynt99]

For those that may want to experiment with the Lee Crock device, here is a much improved design for the 15 minute timer circuit. The complete circuit is shown with relay part number as well. I may do an update a little later with a pcb design.

If you try this, let us know of any results.

.99

EDIT: Go down to HERE to get the updated/corrected version.

[poynt99]

I wonder if there is a difference between aluminum copper or steel mesh or screen.

To find out, experiment with it and see.

This guy used a copper spiral coil instead.

.99

[poynt99]

If one wanted to make this portable. What would you suggest to power the control circuit?

You could use a 12V lantern battery and omit or bypass the 12V regulator.

.99

[poynt99]

Here is an update to the circuit design to correct a small error (output changed state every 7.5min rather than 15min) and to add some versatility with more outputs, making it a good general purpose timer circuit for any application. Use a rotary switch if you wish for selecting the various outputs.

.99

[humbugger]

Here is my solution to the complete Lee Crock unit.  It performs exactly the same function, yet draws on the order of 10 micro-amperes total, so low that it is in the neighborhood or below the self-discharge rate of the batteries if they were on the shelf, so it is powered, in its entirety, by the 3V batteries themselves.  No relay, no timer, no external power supply needed.

As a mental exercise, can anyone tell me why this would not be exactly functionally equivalent to the Lee Crock and Jerry Decker products?  And the design shown by Poynt99 here?  E is the single output node going to the body screen.  Nothing else is required to do the job.

Here's the data sheet on the single active device used:

http://www.fairchildsemi.com/ds/CD%2FCD4060BC.pdf

Below is the circuit.  The RC values should be set to cause oscillation at a nice low frequency but can be much higher than the specified 15 minute (or 1/900 Hz)  output frequency since the oscillator drives a 14-stage binary counter.  You can pick off the output at your choice of the stages.  In this way, the oscillator frequency can be low so the power draw due to switching transitions stays super-low yet the component values stay reasonable even though you end up with very LF square wave output (15 minurtes is easy as pie).

[poynt99]

Thanks for the design Bryan.

Indeed, I could have designed something similar, but in my case, I wanted to stick to the notion that the "output" required is from the battery directly.

Nothing wrong with your design; it would need to be blind-tested with someone who already has the standard setup to determine if the "benefits" are still there. I have not yet tried it myself, so I'm not a good candidate for this test.

Cheers,
.99

[humbugger]

Poynt:  Obviously you know all of the below, so this is just for other possible less-experienced readers.

Since there is no visible current return path from the screen back to the unconnected side of the battery at any time, the current flow is nil out of the output terminal.  I figure connecting the output to one side of the battery or the other is pretty "direct" given that clear fact.  I would expect the CMOS output voltage will be fully rail to rail under these no-load conditions (no measurable difference from using a relay).  

I have simply replaced the large power-hungry relay with a micro-sized MOSFET based solid state SPDT relay.  It just happens to be conveniently stuffed onto a chip which contains an oscillator and frequency divider as well!  You see, every output on a CMOS device consists of a pair of MOSFETS, n-channel on the bottom rail and P-channel on the plus, which connect the output to one rail or the other.  Same as a relay or solid state relay would.  The resistance of the "contacts" is not important if the current being switched equals zero, as in the application.

It would be quite interesting to do a blind test, also including a third box which was empty but had an output terminal.  I highly suspect the entire device is a placebo.  But who knows for sure and does it really matter?  Mental medicine is certainly a powerful healing force, according to studies.  Placebo can heal if you believe in it.  

But I am of the opinion that makers/sellers of placebo devices should strive hard to reduce the elements and cost of their products to an absolute minimum unless there is good reason, of course.  Otherwise, placebo or not, they look like a ripoff profit-making con artist.  Decker wants $500 or more for his deluxe unit.  :

[humbugger]

Apparently, when Lee Crock passed away last year, Jerry Decker took over selling the "technology".  He calls it "The Mexistim" and has two models.  Lots of testimonials and such on the website there.

My very favorite is the little box where it touts the "side-benefit" of always having a box full of D-cell batteries handy for your flashlight in case of blackouts!  This may well be the only efficacious application, but $580 seems abit steep for a box to store your D cells!

http://www.mexistim.com/

OOPS!  The "spare battery statement" is from a different guy named "Tommy" who made the B.O.B. version of the Lee Crock Machine but also died recently.  Go here:

http://www.hbci.com/~wenonah/bob/index.html

Why these folks seem to think only D-cell size batteries (and lots of them in series/parallel) will be effective, I cannot decipher.  There is no current ever drawn from the battery in any of their implementations, so I would think a single pair of AAA batteries would work just fine. And last just as long (essentially equal to "shelf life").   Shows how dumb I am!

[poynt99]

I thought the prescribed number of cells was high for the purpose, but I didn't want to deviate from the "requirement" until tested. It almost appears that the higher the mass of batteries, the better, and the reason for the many D-cells.

That's my theory anyway. 

.99

[humbugger]

I thought the prescribed number of cells was high for the purpose, but I didn't want to deviate from the "requirement" until tested. It almost appears that the higher the mass of batteries, the better, and the reason for the many D-cells.

That's my theory anyway.  

.99

Personally, I'm pretty sure that 100% of the healing benefits here are a direct result of that "Added Peace of Mind" the user gets from just knowing deep in their subconscious psyche that they have 14 D-cells ready when the lights go out.  That's why the array of massive D-cells provides better healing performance compared to a pair of puny AAA batteries.  

After all, how much peace of mind does one get pondering the idea of going through a dark night with only an LED penlight?