The Executioner Insect Zapper - What Statistic Is Responsible For Power Zapps?

[Boris_yo]

I have bought The Executioner. There were two of them, small and bigger and former has 2 AA batteries and latter 2 C batteries.

Which is more powerful for killing insects? Please see my question here.

I say it is all about ampere but the other person states it depends on several factors. Who is right?

What battery is stronger?

 

[telectrix]

no difference. the C batteries will last longer is all.

 

[Mr Mike]

Welcome Boris

 

[MarkieSparkie]

Hi Boris,
The nominal terminal voltage of the batteries in series is the same 3V. This voltage will power a oscillator producing a 3Vpk-pk square-wave output, this usually fed into a >100-1 step-up transformer, giving >300Vpk-pk and then usually fed into a Cockcroft-Walton ladder >x10 voltage multiplier giving a final voltage at the killing grids of >3000Vdc.
It's this high voltage at low current that actually zaps the insects, killing them. The step-up transformer is also tapped off to drive the ultra-violet tube(s) which attract the insects to the killing grids.
The bigger model requires proportionally more power to drive the larger killing grids and longer tube(s), hence the larger capacity batteries.
Cockcroft

 

[telectrix]

and the last thing to go through a fly's mind is Cockcroft,

 

[KFH]

I have not used a battery powered zapper but did try a small mains powered one which did not attract any insects, they would have to fly into it accidently to kill themselves. Have now got a commercial unit and they are flocking to commit suicide. It makes a very satisfactory sizzling
sound when they hit it. Needed after a nearby chicken farm forgot to spray its manure heap and the whole area was infested with flies.

 

[telectrix]

ditto. i tried one of those silly ones from wilko's. useless. got a decent 1 now. lovely sizzle every 5 minutes.

 

[kathwilcox]

Hi, we have a fly zapper that looks like a tennis racket, not really effective, but great fun and good exercise chasing the little sods around the house and eventually watching them fry, my son also thinks its great fun sticking his finger through the mesh to see how much of a shock he gets, also had him with a dog collar that shocks and an epilator, that was funny, have yet to get him with the megger,lol

he's now busy flashing disc drives on xbox, so will probably have a shock from that before long.

 

[telectrix]

fail to see the point of buying a zapper that means you've got to get up off your arse and physically swat the little buggers. too much effort. only 3 reasons to get up.

1. smoke. 2. Beer. 3. Food.

 

[Boris_yo]

no difference. the C batteries will last longer is all.

Is there a battery that is stronger?

 

[MarkieSparkie]

It will make no difference to the strength of the zapper which 1.5V batteries you use. The only way to increase the strength would be to increase the battery voltage (say 3x 1.5V cells in series) but if you were to do this you risk blowing the electronics either by over-voltage or insulation breakdown as the unit was not designed to be powered in this way.

 

[La Poste]

I wonder if they attract insects, you know from miles around, insects that would otherwise pass you by.
With the light I mean.

 

[KFH]

I don't think so. With street lights, security lights etc around there are plenty of other sources to attract them. Once they are in the room with the light they do not fly straight to it and can spend a fair time annoying us before taking the plunge. When we did not have the light they still came in via open doors/windows, I do not think having the light has made any difference to the number coming into the house, just the number flying around annoying us.

We have also tried the bat shaped zappers, great fun for a while but not very effective. Once you have knocked them down you still need to stamp on them to make sure otherwise they arise like Lazarus. I think it is not powerful enough for anything other than small flies and just stuns the normal ones.

 

[Spoon]

fail to see the point of buying a zapper that means you've got to get up off your arse and physically swat the little buggers. too much effort. only 3 reasons to get up.

1. smoke. 2. Beer. 3. Food.

I take it your sat on a commode then mate....

 

[Phil]

we had the tennis racket one a couple of years ago. great fun chasing the little sods around the house