Bug Zapper swatter charge up question

Thread Starter

CaptainPrice

Joined Aug 12, 2009
49
ok so I was in a store yesterday and I saw a bug zapper and when I scanned it it was only 2 bucks so I bought it!

To use it I have to hold down 2 buttons for it to be on. There were absolutely no instructions. SO my question is how long does it take to charge up the caps?




At first I just turned it on when I swatted, and the bug would spark and fry on the swatter. And this morning I decided to hold the button on for 2 minutes while searching for a bug and when I found when with a loud crack and flash of light that thing was vaporized!
so how long does it need to charge up?
 

Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415
Depends on the battery freshness, these circuits are very similar to battery flash chargers. The more current the batteries have the quicker it charges up the capacitors.

I don't think the bug was vaporized, you have a crispy carcass laying somewhere. Betcha you got this from Harbor Freight, I have bought them too. I like the fact they kill when you make contact.

It goes without saying that these kind of devices can be hazardous. The voltage is lethal, but the design is such that it would be hard to injure someone without modifying the device. I definitely would watch it around kids though, since they are fully capable of doing something we would consider stupid. I suspect it would leave real injury to small fingers.
 

Thread Starter

CaptainPrice

Joined Aug 12, 2009
49
I doubt it was vaporized too. It just seemed that way

How dangerous are these things? If i stuck my finger in there would i be ok? If I was as small as a bug would it fry me?
 

Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415
An adult would likely be knocked on his assets. This is humor. Figure your fingers could not go into the holes of the mesh. You might get surface burns, but they would be trivial. I mentioned a child's fingers because they would fit between the wires of the mesh, and likely cook to the first knuckle. This isn't trivial.

Like all tools, it has it uses. I would not let a small child play with an exacto knife. Same thing.
 
Last edited:

tom66

Joined May 9, 2009
2,595
Shocked myself on the transformer for a camera flash capacitor which is a little over 270 volts a.c. I wouldn't suggest you try this at home because it hurts!
 

Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415
Again, if an adult does this it is humor. I'm not too sure about the smarts of someone licking a fly killing surface anyhow, if you get my drift. I'm a follower of the Darwin Awards website, if I ever read about someone zapping themselves this way I would definitely make the entry.
 

retched

Joined Dec 5, 2009
5,207
I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF REPLYING!!!

Crap bill. When I read, "I would let a child play with an exacto knife", I started laughing... As soon as I hit quote, the quote came up with the 'NOT'

Weird...funny.

At least you re-read your posts... The editor in you, I suppose.
 

Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415
I like the device in question. There is something oddly satisfying hearing that loud pop when you hit a fly. Problem it, it resembles a tennis racket, you can't hit them when they've landed. Adds to the challenge I suppose, but it doesn't mean a fly treated this way isn't going to get up and fly away.

Hmmm, wonder if you could put some blue LEDs behind the screen and leave it as a fly trap?
 

BMorse

Joined Sep 26, 2009
2,675
I had bought one of those rackets from Harbor Freight, and my son has actually figured out a way to give the insects just enough of a jolt to knock them out, then another short burst to revive them.... it almost works as an insect defibrillator :D

on another note, I had an employee that was "not so smart" that he bet another employee that he could touch the mesh and it would not bother him since he has gone through tazer training when he was a security guard and he could endure it.... well he learned that those things should'nt be played with like that, as soon as he stuck his fingers in the racket, it knocked him a few feet back right on his kiester!!:D

and Bill: If you tape the button down and lay it on a flat surface over something that attracts flies, they will be drawn right into the screen..... it is quite fun to watch sometimes when you see them dart down and then just get zapped right back up....

B. Morse
 

Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415
Dang if I know, but I sure have seen a lot of them in restaurants that used it as bait.

Generally the shock didn't kill them, they fell onto fly paper after being zapped. Whatever works...
 
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