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So I bought a bug zapper

J

JoeKing

Lifer
I was perusing the local hardware store, looking for something to kick some mosquito ass, since they've been kicking my ass as of late. I was going to get one of those OFF lamps when my eyes beheld awesomenessess.

I told the wife "Wife! if this bug zapper is 220v I'm buying it!"
Wife "Well you didn't have to giggle about it when you saw it"
Me "I didn't giggle"
Random girl in the same aisle "Yes you did"

So my death lantern ended up being 220v, and of course I bought it.

I took my baby home and the wife too, and eagerly ripped open the box and plugged death blossom in; cursing the sun for still being out.

Now I don't know about you guys, but I pictured a bug zapper... well zapping, exploding, incinerating it's victims as they followed that irresistible glow. At least that's what I've seen on TV. I even placed it a few feet from the seats on the porch to avoid the little itty bitty bug guts from spraying the family.

Was I mistaken! I left the zapper running as I went downstairs to assemble my desk, I just took a peek to see how it was doing, and look how this torture tool kills!

Apparently once the bug touches the electrified portion they become trapped

Unable to free themselves from wire,

they are slowly shocked to death

No boom, zap, or snap. But slow electrical death! I know it's a slow death because, as I was looking over the lamp I watched a mosquito fly in and spasm and wriggle on the wires to it's demise.

I almost feel bad for the buggers... almost.

I was wondering why the manufacturers included this with the bug zapper




CLIFFS
Bug zappers kill, but not how I thought!
 
Sure you got the thing working correctly? I remember having a bug zapper as a kid in Malaysia and yes it did indeed ZAP!
 
The zappers I've used all had a satisfying arc sound and flash for each bug it killed.

On a side note, why were you specifically looking for a 220v zapper? Why not 110v?
 
Originally posted by: Locut0s
Sure you got the thing working correctly? I remember having a bug zapper as a kid in Malaysia and yes it did indeed ZAP!
Click to expand...

I remember them being like that when I was a kid, too. Maybe they make them differently now?
 
Originally posted by: Locut0s
Sure you got the thing working correctly? I remember having a bug zapper as a kid in Malaysia and yes it did indeed ZAP!
Click to expand...

I don't know if I bought a wussy bug zapper or what.
 
Originally posted by: MrPickins
The zappers I've used all had a satisfying arc sound and flash for each bug it killed.

On a side note, why were you specifically looking for a 220v zapper? Why not 110v?
Click to expand...

I just moved to Italy and that's what they use for power here
 
Those latitudinal grid models are not very effective. Vertical grids are the best! Why? Hot air rises. Think of a Jacob's ladder. Once the arc is struck the hot ionized and perfectly conductive channel rises and the arc extinguishes itself. On horizontal wires this will not happen and the arc persists. This means insects crossing the grid in other places survive. So the prevent persistent arcing with this design a transformer with lower secondary voltage is used.

A good buck whacker design will use about 4-5kV at 9mA. A few tens of picofarads of capacitance is also placed across the secondary to give the arc a loud report and this is the zapping noise you hear on these units.

You can also experiment with different fluorescent bulbs such as the actinic or bilirubin blue (used in jaundice treatment boxes). The most powerful combination is black light AND black light blue lamps albeit the most expensive. In many North American locales this also attracts very large moths such as the Luna moth this time of the year and these insects cannot fit through the protective screens. (nor should you be zapping them!) NEVER run the unit without the protective screen in place.
 
Originally posted by: Rubycon
Those latitudinal grid models are not very effective. Vertical grids are the best! Why? Hot air rises. Think of a Jacob's ladder. Once the arc is struck the hot ionized and perfectly conductive channel rises and the arc extinguishes itself. On horizontal wires this will not happen and the arc persists. This means insects crossing the grid in other places survive. So the prevent persistent arcing with this design a transformer with lower secondary voltage is used.

A good buck whacker design will use about 4-5kV at 9mA. A few tens of picofarads of capacitance is also placed across the secondary to give the arc a loud report and this is the zapping noise you hear on these units.

You can also experiment with different fluorescent bulbs such as the actinic or bilirubin blue (used in jaundice treatment boxes). The most powerful combination is black light AND black light blue lamps albeit the most expensive. In many North American locales this also attracts very large moths such as the Luna moth this time of the year and these insects cannot fit through the protective screens. (nor should you be zapping them!) NEVER run the unit without the protective screen in place.
Click to expand...

This post is so sexy.
 
Originally posted by: rasczak
Originally posted by: Rubycon
Those latitudinal grid models are not very effective. Vertical grids are the best! Why? Hot air rises. Think of a Jacob's ladder. Once the arc is struck the hot ionized and perfectly conductive channel rises and the arc extinguishes itself. On horizontal wires this will not happen and the arc persists. This means insects crossing the grid in other places survive. So the prevent persistent arcing with this design a transformer with lower secondary voltage is used.

A good buck whacker design will use about 4-5kV at 9mA. A few tens of picofarads of capacitance is also placed across the secondary to give the arc a loud report and this is the zapping noise you hear on these units.

You can also experiment with different fluorescent bulbs such as the actinic or bilirubin blue (used in jaundice treatment boxes). The most powerful combination is black light AND black light blue lamps albeit the most expensive. In many North American locales this also attracts very large moths such as the Luna moth this time of the year and these insects cannot fit through the protective screens. (nor should you be zapping them!) NEVER run the unit without the protective screen in place.
Click to expand...

This post is so sexy.
Click to expand...

I agree 🙂

I hate mosquitoes :brokenheart:
 
Originally posted by: Rubycon
Those latitudinal grid models are not very effective. Vertical grids are the best! Why? Hot air rises. Think of a Jacob's ladder. Once the arc is struck the hot ionized and perfectly conductive channel rises and the arc extinguishes itself. On horizontal wires this will not happen and the arc persists. This means insects crossing the grid in other places survive. So the prevent persistent arcing with this design a transformer with lower secondary voltage is used.

A good buck whacker design will use about 4-5kV at 9mA. A few tens of picofarads of capacitance is also placed across the secondary to give the arc a loud report and this is the zapping noise you hear on these units.

You can also experiment with different fluorescent bulbs such as the actinic or bilirubin blue (used in jaundice treatment boxes). The most powerful combination is black light AND black light blue lamps albeit the most expensive. In many North American locales this also attracts very large moths such as the Luna moth this time of the year and these insects cannot fit through the protective screens. (nor should you be zapping them!) NEVER run the unit without the protective screen in place.
Click to expand...

where do I find one of those good ones? and how much?
 
Originally posted by: rasczak
Originally posted by: Rubycon
Those latitudinal grid models are not very effective. Vertical grids are the best! Why? Hot air rises. Think of a Jacob's ladder. Once the arc is struck the hot ionized and perfectly conductive channel rises and the arc extinguishes itself. On horizontal wires this will not happen and the arc persists. This means insects crossing the grid in other places survive. So the prevent persistent arcing with this design a transformer with lower secondary voltage is used.

A good buck whacker design will use about 4-5kV at 9mA. A few tens of picofarads of capacitance is also placed across the secondary to give the arc a loud report and this is the zapping noise you hear on these units.

You can also experiment with different fluorescent bulbs such as the actinic or bilirubin blue (used in jaundice treatment boxes). The most powerful combination is black light AND black light blue lamps albeit the most expensive. In many North American locales this also attracts very large moths such as the Luna moth this time of the year and these insects cannot fit through the protective screens. (nor should you be zapping them!) NEVER run the unit without the protective screen in place.
Click to expand...

This post is so sexy.
Click to expand...

that post was actually sexier...
 
Originally posted by: narzy
Originally posted by: Rubycon
Those latitudinal grid models are not very effective. Vertical grids are the best! Why? Hot air rises. Think of a Jacob's ladder. Once the arc is struck the hot ionized and perfectly conductive channel rises and the arc extinguishes itself. On horizontal wires this will not happen and the arc persists. This means insects crossing the grid in other places survive. So the prevent persistent arcing with this design a transformer with lower secondary voltage is used.

A good buck whacker design will use about 4-5kV at 9mA. A few tens of picofarads of capacitance is also placed across the secondary to give the arc a loud report and this is the zapping noise you hear on these units.

You can also experiment with different fluorescent bulbs such as the actinic or bilirubin blue (used in jaundice treatment boxes). The most powerful combination is black light AND black light blue lamps albeit the most expensive. In many North American locales this also attracts very large moths such as the Luna moth this time of the year and these insects cannot fit through the protective screens. (nor should you be zapping them!) NEVER run the unit without the protective screen in place.
Click to expand...

where do I find one of those good ones? and how much?
Click to expand...

Same question.
 
Originally posted by: Locut0s
Sure you got the thing working correctly? I remember having a bug zapper as a kid in Malaysia and yes it did indeed ZAP!
Click to expand...

different technology, different zapper. The originals were just a hot-ass lamp, more or less, that fried the bajeezus out of anything that landed on it.

The ZAP was glorious.
 
Originally posted by: funkymatt
Originally posted by: rasczak
Originally posted by: Rubycon
Those latitudinal grid models are not very effective. Vertical grids are the best! Why? Hot air rises. Think of a Jacob's ladder. Once the arc is struck the hot ionized and perfectly conductive channel rises and the arc extinguishes itself. On horizontal wires this will not happen and the arc persists. This means insects crossing the grid in other places survive. So the prevent persistent arcing with this design a transformer with lower secondary voltage is used.

A good buck whacker design will use about 4-5kV at 9mA. A few tens of picofarads of capacitance is also placed across the secondary to give the arc a loud report and this is the zapping noise you hear on these units.

You can also experiment with different fluorescent bulbs such as the actinic or bilirubin blue (used in jaundice treatment boxes). The most powerful combination is black light AND black light blue lamps albeit the most expensive. In many North American locales this also attracts very large moths such as the Luna moth this time of the year and these insects cannot fit through the protective screens. (nor should you be zapping them!) NEVER run the unit without the protective screen in place.
Click to expand...

This post is so sexy.
Click to expand...

that post was actually sexier...
Click to expand...


pfft you knew what i was talking about 😛
 
I have one that's over 20 years old and still kills...and it does so with a nice LOUD <ZAP! SNAP!>

There's something very satisfying about a large miller moth sitting on the grid...frying...<BZZZZZZT-BZZZZZZZZT-BZZZZZZZZT!> 😀
 
There needs to be a tesla type bug zapper that will zap bugs automatically within a certain radius.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't the ones that actually ZAP and blow up the little bastards bad since they spray bug guts and bacteria all over the place? Their slow painful deaths are better for us superior life forms. Maybe the tesla model will employ some sort of tractor beam technology...
 
Originally posted by: Kelvrick
There needs to be a tesla type bug zapper that will zap bugs automatically within a certain radius.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't the ones that actually ZAP and blow up the little bastards bad since they spray bug guts and bacteria all over the place? Their slow painful deaths are better for us superior life forms. Maybe the tesla model will employ some sort of tractor beam technology...
Click to expand...

Technically you're not supposed to put one within something like 100' of your porch because of the guts.

As for a tesla coil for mosquitoes there is something like that for mosquitoes, except it uses a laser instead of lightning.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/t...nce/article5908535.ece
 
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