How to Improve a Bug Zapper

[L8 APEX]

Nobody like mosquitos and other flying insects. So we buy bug zappers, DEET, bottles of OFF etc.. Unfortunately there are many sissy safety thingys they do to bug zappers that reduce effectiveness. People should know not to touch the wires of a bug zapper, or learn quickly not to. But NO, the manufacturer puts all kinds of fine plastic mesh. Then the metal screens are place one in another so if you touch the outer one you won't get shocked. This greatly reduces the effectiveness because a lot of bugs just sit on the outer protective guard or screen. Unless they fly directly between the two outer screens they live:hammer: . So I decided to make a real bug zapper that works right. One that ignites bug guts into a smokey flameknana . Here is my simple yet effective re-design. I bought a new bug zapper and took it apart. I discarded all safety related items to start with. I ran this buglight for two days solid and it did not kill 10 bugs, worthless IMO.. I cut much of the guard away at first trying to intake more bugs, no good.
http://www.svtgalleries.net/gallery/data/500/medium/15CIMG1049.JPG
Dismantle took 5 minutes.
http://www.svtgalleries.net/gallery/data/500/medium/15CIMG1051.JPG
I took some wood and made a simple square with grooved dowels and wrapped them with two parralell leads.
http://www.svtgalleries.net/gallery/data/500/medium/15CIMG1053.JPG
Then I mounted the componenets and bulb from the donor buglight. By wrapping the two leads around the fixture the bugs get shocked as soon as they land on the wires. The safety design requires they pass through two grids seperated by almost an inch of air gap. There are no sissy plastic guards just nice electrified wires.
http://www.svtgalleries.net/gallery/data/500/15CIMG1052-med.JPG
If you look closely right center you will see a bug on fire like a star burning. Across the left of the pic is the smoke from his carcass:evil
http://www.svtgalleries.net/gallery/data/500/15CIMG1066.JPG
So after buying a zapper that killed 10 bugs in two days. My redesigned zapper killed over a 100 flying insects this evening.
NOTE: No Crown was spilled during this project and testing.

[wesman]

lol...you have too much free time

Bugs at Terry's house :throw:

[Crawford]

Terry,

Nice work! I have seen that same model in "action" and its pretty worthless IMO. The only problem I see with your design is that bugs will pile up quickly on the base of the zapper. Make a square frame with an open center for the four posts to fit into so the corpses can fall to the ground... less cleaning required. :tu:

[SILVER2000SVT]

Cool,

But a safety tip. I would be careful letting that thing get wet. Wood is not exactly the best insulator and when it gets wet it's actually will be a decent conductor.

[L8 APEX]

Cool,

But a safety tip. I would be careful letting that thing get wet. Wood is not exactly the best insulator and when it gets wet it's actually will be a decent conductor.It is panzy thinking like that, that makes a bug zapper so safe it doesn't kill bugs. I believe in Darwinism will weed out the stupid, we need to stop protecting and rewarding the stupid:nono: :D

[Tex Arcana]

Cool,

But a safety tip. I would be careful letting that thing get wet. Wood is not exactly the best insulator and when it gets wet it's actually will be a decent conductor.

Actually, the wood is a fine insulator: it's the water that gets conductive, with all the minerals and such, soaking into the wood and providing a path for a short.

[True Blue Aggie]

Tomato is still spelled tomato no matter how you say it.....

Who gives a **** about the properties of wood? Either way you are screwed if you touch it when it is wet or dry.....:bs

[my2002lightning]

Now there's a bug-zapper worthy of Monster-Garage ! knana

I understand the real "fun" begins when you take a few rattle-snakes with "tongs" and set them on an electric fence! :evil

I hear they convulse like crazy and bite themselves.

So I've heard. :cool:

[L8 APEX]

This is just a test zapper for greater creations to come:evil

[Tex Arcana]

Tomato is still spelled tomato no matter how you say it.....

Who gives a **** about the properties of wood? Either way you are screwed if you touch it when it is wet or dry.....:bs

Idjit, if wood were condictive, they wouldn't make telephone poles out of 'em, now would they?? :hammer:

Pay attention next time.. ye might learn something new... :tu:

[L8 APEX]

Idjit, if wood were condictive, they wouldn't make telephone poles out of 'em, now would they?? :hammer:

Pay attention next time.. ye might learn something new... :tu:The super 13KV spower lines near my house are made of good ol American Steel. Even the wood poles use glass insulators. Besides I think Aggie was talking about the Zapper in general not the wood easy Tex:rolleyes:

[SILVER2000SVT]

Like Terry said, they use insulators on wood power poles the wood isn't directly in contact with the pole.

My point wasn't for human safety, I realize that wasn't the reason this thing was built.

I meant when the wood gets moist and starts to conduct through the water on its surface, it will ignite the wood. Then you have the makings of a fire ball. Especially if only the surface of the wood is wet and the core is dry which would make good fuel.

That might be pretty cool to watch, but my only point was be careful getting it too close to the house or anything you might want to keep.

[True Blue Aggie]

Terry....I was talking about the zapper, not the wood. Thanks for the common sense backup...:tu:

[cpeapea]

its kinda like a Tig welder with a high frequency start. if you dont ground yourself (keyword DONT) and hold your hand infront of the tig torch and press the trigger, an electrical arc will jump to your fingers. all the other people in the welding shop will say "damn that focker is crazy!" anyways, it makes a great fly buzzer, fly lands on table, depress trigger, fly explodes. simple as that