Im running 120V from my wall through a momentary switch to a solenoid but the voltage keeps fluctuating every couple of times that I power my solenoid. Im pretty sure this is because of the characteristics of AC current. I've tried running my power through a diode to rectify the ac and only get the positive cycles but then I loose of a lot voltage. I want to keep my voltage(because I need a consistent force exerted from the solenoid) and achieve a controlled "clean" impulse of electricity each time I press the switch with no spiking or fluctuations. I would greatly appreciate any help for what i should do.
Well if it's that bod move somewhere else because the electric company controls the e-lect-tricity. Or get your own generator. Let me guess you don't know anything about anything.
I think that first you have to explain what you want to do with the solenoid. Because unless you have a very bad power supply, i think that your solenoid is not strong enough by design.
a 120V or 240V power line is strong enough for all house works, or otherwise you can use 3 Phase power line.
Yeah, how much current is this solenoid expected to draw? Either it's some ma-tha of a solenoid, or there is something wrong with the house wiring or you need to call the power company because their equipment is failing.
The voltage from your wall fluctuates because it is Alternating Current. That "120 Volts" AC is constantly fluctuating between 170 Volts positive and 170 Volts negative. If you take an instantaneous pulse, the value may be anywhere between those values. That is perfectly normal.
But anyway, give us some more information: What is the voltage and current rating of the solenoid ? Is it designed for use on AC or DC ? How are you measuring the voltage across it ? Can you give us the circuit diagram you are using ? It seems contradictory that you say you want only an impulse, but also to exert a consistent force, please can you explain that ? If you can you tell us exactly what you are trying to do, we may be able to offer some useful advice.
Please don't take offence at this, but perhaps for safety you should stick to experimenting with low voltages until you have a better background knowledge of the basics of electricity. There are many sites on line offering free tutorials. (List of some below.)
www.learnabout-electronics.org/index.php - Descriptions of components and principles, good diagrams, animations, & fault-finding techniques
