Bug zapper racket modifications

Thread Starter

A1n1n1

Joined Jun 16, 2019
4
I bought one of those cheap bug zapper rackets that work on 2 aa batteries. After 10 bugs this racket stops working.
Capacitor or diode fail.
The Bugs Here Are Tiny And In Big Swarms. They bite and suck blood and leave big marks. It drives everyone here crazy. No one buys the rackets from the shop as they do not work on these smaller bugs and plus the bigger mosquitos fry the circuit.
There are ways to increase voltage. I want to make a racket the cheapest possible way that does not fry itself and has higher voltage so the swarms of tiny bugs get fried. Mosquitos are not a priority they do not itch nearly as much. The tiny buggers follow inside the house and I can not think straight or sleep. have no money so i want to do it cheap. Anyone help with the modifications? Thanks in advance.
 

Dodgydave

Joined Jun 22, 2012
11,285
The problem is the battery size is limiting the output current to the HV mesh, you could increase the output voltage by adding more diodes and capacitors in a " Jacobs Ladder " circuit, .and use Nicads or Nimhi cells.
 

Thread Starter

A1n1n1

Joined Jun 16, 2019
4
We have no mains.
Thanks for the tips.
The one I have is the only one available in the shops
I hAve nimhs.
.
 

DickCappels

Joined Aug 21, 2008
10,152
Why do you want to increase the voltage? If the problem is that the bugs are too small then the best solution would be to use screens with finer mesh.increasing the voltage would not help much if at all.
 

MisterBill2

Joined Jan 23, 2018
18,176
Probably all of the components will be suspects, so in addition to the diodes and capacitors in the high voltage section you should also consider replacing the transistors with some having higher voltage and current ratings. The electronics in those items designed to be used once and discarded are usually very poor quality , with the parts just barely adequate for operation. In addition, if the bugs that need zapping are too small for the shocking grid you will need to add to the grid to reduce the spacing.
HOWEVER, it may be that you are in a place totally unsuitable for human habitation, even for a short term. In that case my best advice is to go elsewhere. AND, I too am wondering just where it is.
 

Analog Ground

Joined Apr 24, 2019
460
"it may be that you are in a place totally unsuitable for human habitation" - MisterBill2

My guess is Florida. I spent two seeks there on a boat in June. No air conditioning. No nothing. I remember they were called "no see 'ems".
 

SLK001

Joined Nov 29, 2011
1,549
I'm trying to figure out where on earth people have "no mains" but still have internet access. I think that someone's priorities are screwed up.
 

MisterBill2

Joined Jan 23, 2018
18,176
I'm trying to figure out where on earth people have "no mains" but still have internet access. I think that someone's priorities are screwed up.
Such a place could be in a wilderness campground, where cell phones function but there is no mains source for many miles. And it may also be that presently the TS is at home, and the location described is elsewhere. Also, there are huge sections of Alaska where there is no power available, but various communications links are accessible.
 

Alec_t

Joined Sep 17, 2013
14,280
Well we haven't heard back from the TS, so perhaps (s)he now doesn't have Internet access either :).
 
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MisterBill2

Joined Jan 23, 2018
18,176
What could be quite effective and far more reliable will be an electric fence charger designed to keep cattle from wandering off. Then a different arrangement of fine wires would need to be created that had a suitable spacing so that the small bugs would be able to strike an arc and become zapped. Quite a bit of effort, certainly, but it should be effective.
Unfortunately the information section does not have a spot for geographic locations, so it is not easily possible to determine what resources a TS has available. Last year, via emails, I was able to repair a refrigerator defrost system for a missionary some place in rural Thailand. That was an interesting exercise in circuit analysis based on an adequate fault symptoms description.
 

narkeleptk

Joined Mar 11, 2019
558
What could be quite effective and far more reliable will be an electric fence charger designed to keep cattle from wandering off. Then a different arrangement of fine wires would need to be created that had a suitable spacing so that the small bugs would be able to strike an arc and become zapped. Quite a bit of effort, certainly, but it should be effective.
Unfortunately the information section does not have a spot for geographic locations, so it is not easily possible to determine what resources a TS has available. Last year, via emails, I was able to repair a refrigerator defrost system for a missionary some place in rural Thailand. That was an interesting exercise in circuit analysis based on an adequate fault symptoms description.

The cattle fences I've always run across are not always active and only pulse on and off every few seconds to every 10 seconds or so, usually enough for livestock to get the idea. Might not be too good for the quick need of swatting at insects with out additional modifications. Just seems silly to me since there is nothing wrong with basic bug zapper circuits already accept in TS case of needing a smaller screen or having a exceptionally poorly built one. Other then that I think its probably user error or poor battery supply. I have several many year old of the cheapest made zappers with out internal failure. If these base ones can take out enormous wood roaches then I'm sure they can handle "large mosquito's" and swarms of whatever the TS is dealing with.
 
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oz93666

Joined Sep 7, 2010
739
Nothing really works very well ...

What the world needs is a laser mosquito shooter ... very small lasers are available which would work , only 1W needed .... Targeting will not be easy , multiple miniature cameras would scan the area , software predict flight path and aim the laser ..

This has to eventually come and will be the final solution to the mosquito blight.
 

narkeleptk

Joined Mar 11, 2019
558
Nothing really works very well ...

What the world needs is a laser mosquito shooter ... very small lasers are available which would work , only 1W needed .... Targeting will not be easy , multiple miniature cameras would scan the area , software predict flight path and aim the laser ..

This has to eventually come and will be the final solution to the mosquito blight.

I don't know about lasers but there is a pretty nice rifle that shoots salt for inscects. It's like a miniature buckshot
.
 

MisterBill2

Joined Jan 23, 2018
18,176
I don't know about lasers but there is a pretty nice rifle that shoots salt for inscects. It's like a miniature buckshot
.
Actually, a laser with a mechanical scanner could do a whole lot of damage to a cloud of the bugs in a fairly short time. BUT a laser that powerful is a quite dangerous device, because if it will zap a bug in less than a second ti will likewise blind a person almost instantly. A real-life version of a light saber.
 
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