Could you guys rig up a jig that goes on a sewing machine, where the bobbin goes and use your foot pedal to control the speed.
Or
something like a fishing rod spool
Or
make a custom variable speed motor winding jig???
Just some “easier said than done” thoughts for you both 
Thought about it.
Would really like a better way to hold the tiny little cores too.
Just saying
Thinking of getting one of THESE winding machines. It’s pretty obviously chinese origin, and there’s a bunch of them out there if you look around. This company, US Solid, reminds me very much of harbor freight. They’ve actually got a couple versions, but to work with tiny stuff, I think this cheap basic version, with modifications.
Specifically;
The name says electric / manual. Apparently that’s so you can attach a motor / belt to the provided pulley. Seems like a mostly bad idea to me. Also kinda hinkey.
Gotta love the warning on it.
“Due to the shaking of the transportation process, the shaft may be slightly bent when you receive. Then just knock the shaft with a wooden hammer, it will be straight soon.”
I’ve looked at purchasing machine tools for a company I worked for years ago, and I was in contact with a French importer of cheap Chinese lathes and milling machines. I asked them why some of them came with belt pulleys / external motor options, when all the others had an integrated motor. They told me those machines are marketed for sweatshops in the Indian subcontinent that still have line shafts.
So that previous coil was about 4 layers, unknown number of turns.
Using the Microwinder I was able to get 6 layers, very neatly wound, not perfect, just neat, on a 2mm core with 791 turns. Inductance was 5.95mH. Outside Diameter was 3.13mm.
For reference, I’m trying to fit into these glass tube specs.
Need more turns. But no room for it. Gonna try smaller cores, but having difficulties holding on to them. I have ideas, need to explore some more.
I’m gonna say it again, I guess just cause I like hearing myself talk.
Build a large one to verify it works before you break your back trying to miniaturize something
I know, I know.
But, I’m stubborn.
Also, if it works, then I still have to miniaturize, but it if it won’t miniaturize, then it’s irrelevant if it works. Basically, if I can’t solve this problem the whole thing is a waste of time.
Plus, I’m stubborn.
That all or nothing mentality is why so many amazing projects go unfinished.
Building a larger model is not a separate process from the finished product, it is a critical step to making the finished product. You’ll learn background information along the way which will not just save you time, but result in a better end product.
Don’t be too lazy to make things easier on yourself, or you’ll spend 3 times as long smacking your head against a brick wall hoping to get through, rather than spotting the edge and walking around.
I’ve been there man, I know how it is. I just want to help.
I second this, proof of concept and prototyping is really important, you’ll learn and realize things you never even considered. If you make it bigger then potential problems get bigger and easier to notice like background noise or interference for example (this is a general example I’m not specifically talking about your project)
Had a chat with the test engineer at our factory. They made me a handful of these. They are tuned for 55hz. They don’t work. I can send them to you to play with if you want. They might work for 220v though… I only tested with 120v.
They’ll work very close to a transformer’s primary - preferably with an armature around it 
Yes, want!
Wait, that’s not good bargaining technique.
Pardon me good sir, I see you have items that others might find desirable. Would you perhaps be interested in fair trade?
DM Sending now.
Phone Company f-ed up my dsl line while installing neighbor’s connection. Hate being on phone. Too slow.
But…
Got them in. Thanks Amal!
Test1 220v air conditioner. Nothing.
Test2 480v in conduit. Nothing.
Test3 480v main switch panel. Note, requires arc flash protective gear to operate. Nothing
Test4 480v transformer. Outside housing dims approx 2ft x 3ft x 4ft tall. Pulls 200amps. Results Nothing.
Safe to say another direction will be needed.
Ah the glory of failure. It’s how we learn.
I bet if you took the safety gear of, you would feel a tingle!
You sure you’re not American?
Hmmm. That’s a real bummer. I already tried a low Inductance coil with a larger 1F supercap. That didn’t work either. We can’t really go the other way with a larger inductor because we’re limited on space and there will be too much resistance in the wire. I’ll talk with Amal about it. Maybe I can crack one open and hook it up the the VNA to determine the actual resonant peak.
I also considered going to a flat pancake style coil such as the flex series use. I have absolutely no idea how those are wound (on a bobbin?) or how they retain shape without unwinding (superglue?).
I considered busting one open too, so I could check inductance. But, theyre such pretty little things. Such fine wire too. Finer than the 40awg I have.
What’s a VNA?
Here’s a video
They have a machine with two vertical plates that spin. They put a machined coil form on one of the plates, feed in the magnet wire, sandwich the two plates together, and then spin the whole thing while dripping adhesive on it radially until they’ve reached the correct number of turns.
It’s a real bitch to get them to do it at the quantities we need.
It’s a “Vector Network Analyzer”. Step up from an oscilloscope. You can use it to analyze antenna properties.
Wow, what a headache, was thinking of trying to start winding coils myself too, but seems like it’s really hard 
i am aiming for a 1.337 mH coil. cylindrical in shape to match the NExT tag and hopefully greatly improve read range 
