Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!alberta!calgary!amc-vlsi!dale From: dale@amc-vlsi.UUCP (Dale Wlasitz) Newsgroups: sci.electronics Subject: Re: Bug-Zapper Message-ID: <530@amc-vlsi.UUCP> Date: 13 Jul 88 15:55:29 GMT Organization: Alberta Microelectronic Centre, Calgary, AB. Lines: 30 In article <3118@ihlpe.ATT.COM>, jph@ihlpe.ATT.COM (452is-Hayes) writes: >> How can you make a homemade electric/electronic bug-zapper? Looking >> for something fairly uncomplicated. ........... >> J. Hayes, ihlpe!jph > Suggestion: use the flyback transformer in an old TV, which have around >15KV in output. Warning: _extremely_ dangerous to fool around with >these, they >_will_ kill you if you're not careful. > Anyway, fairly simple, and certainly cheap. > >-- >/------------------\ ARPA calgary!hermann@cs.ubc.ca >| Mike Hermann | UUCP ...uunet!alberta!calgary!hermann >\------------------/ EAN hermann@cpsc.calgary.c Ideally what you want to construct is a grid with high potential, once the bug enters the "zap-zone" and the spark zaps it the potential drops off therefore it is ideal to have a current limiting output on the transformer ... say under 20 mA. I'm sure only 4-5 mA should be sufficient to do in even the big ones. This current is lethal! If you play with this stuff be careful, also install it so that no children (or adults, animals etc.) can become zapped. I think a neon transformer would work, they are around 30 KV and current limited as well? Cheap too, should be surplus houses that have them. Anyone ever use one? Dale