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Build Your Own Stun Gun
mariox19 writes "Wondering what to do with your disposable camera when you're finished with it? TechTV has an article describing how to reach out and zap someone with a home-made stun gun. I discovered the link via Bruce Schneier's latest Cryptogram, where Schneier half-jokingly warns not to let airport security find out about this, lest (in their 'wisdom') they ban cameras along with nail clippers."
And the best part is that you could zap them and capture the moment. Now there's a Kodak moment!!
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Etiquette is etiquette. He kills his mother but he can't wear grey trousers.
In junior high electronic shop class (~1978-79) we'd charge a capacitor up, say "Hey $NAME.." and toss it to the person. Force of habit dictated the person would usually catch it and get a nice suprise.
Trolling is a art,
However, when I was leaving Japan I noticed security at Haneda had no such rules. In fact, you could buy both alkaline and lithium batteries at the shops beyond the security checkpoint there.
I've yet to get an explanation for why plain batteries are considered a security risk.
As the article demonstrates, any time you can get a battery, capacitor, and some wire together, you have the resouces to make a simplistic taser.
I don't know any way they'd be able to regulate those situations, since capacitors of some type are found in nearly every electronic device. Anything that has to have a "flash" of power has a high-voltage capacitor behind it... the cammera flashbulb being the most typical example.
I suppose its possible that "some" cameras have the right hardware inside to make this. However, personal experience leads me to believe that there are cameras which will deliver just enough shock to piss someone off even more. In fixing a rather nice digital camera a while back, I just happened to touch the wrong wire and... ZAP!!! Ouch? Yes. A knockout? Definately not. Confusing, especially since the batteries werent in the thing. Put it back together, tried it, ended up charing the thing again. Took it apart again. Discovered another wrong spot to touch... ZAP! Equally painful the second time, but still no knockout... That time I ended up throwing the thing in a brief hand spasm which resulted in it landing on my leg and... oh no.. ZAP! That was number 3 and damn I hated that thing but it was still just painful and nothing like a stun gun should deliver. Heck. Not even as bad as picking up a damp laptop battery and having it discharge into you. That'll make your arm numb for hours ;)
~~ Please keep your arms, legs, and outright stupidity inside the ride at all times. Thank You ~~
Did anyone else notice that the URL is http://www.techtv.com/unscrewed/IHATEYOU/story/0,2 4682,3653392,00.html ?
Life is offtopic.
"Bully breaks student's camera, low voltage hilarity ensues."
Yes! Evil rules! Good can suck it! Suck it, good!
Just stop by your local farm store and pick up a cattle prod. Or order one at http://www.redhillgeneralstore.com/prod.htm or one of their many competitors.
Warning: this article may contain humor, sarcasm, parody, and perhaps even irony. Read at your own risk.
Yeah, capacitors on slashdot once again :)
/.ers know more?
But beware that this is really dangerous. I touched a flash capacitor some time ago, 40uF@400V are not really nice. 200uF@600V and I can assure you that you will fly across the room, hopefully surviving the shock. I have several 1uF@10kV caps, and I don'T dare to charge them to > 3kV (LOUD, risk of EMI, some PC failures already because of cap discharges)
Because this is all too destructive, here is a nice modification (I TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY!!):
Leave the connection to the flash tube intact. Increase the capacity of the HV cap. Add capacitors salvaged from other cameras, or as a very cheap alternative, from PC power supplies.
Check the voltage rating. Often, they're rated at 800uF@200V, if your flash light operates around 200V, connect two of them in series (+ -)(+ -).
You can get nice, very *bright* flashes with this method. Do not add to much or the flash time will explode.
Problems here:
- NEVER touch power supply caps, they can store 10x - 20x the energy of flash caps. Lethal!
- Discharge the CAPs from the power supplies before salvaging.
- Discharge the unit after use with an *isolated* gripper, better yet, a high-wattage resistor (few kOhms) hold by an *isolated* gripper.
Someone said that more that more than 10 joule are dangerous, but I think you should not set an upper bound for harmless capacitors.
PS. Someone told me that you have to drink much liquid after an electric shock. Because it removes toxic products from your body which could result in kidney failure or so. Maybe the medicine-studying
But... better don't let this happen!
And just what kind of threat does a stun gun pose to deserve such a measure? I mean really, people are always going to be able to do all sorts of harm to others. Trying to attain security by micromanaging everyone's actions is just not a working solution. Sure, it's sensible to ban handguns and large kitchen knives from airlines, but battery operated devices? Nail clippers?? Long fingernails could do more damage than the clipper.
Do the universe a favor and do not build your own stun gun. The little sisters and pet dogs of the world will thank you.
Doesn't everyone getting on an airplane these days have to strip naked, undergo a body-cavity search, and don shackles and an orange jumpsuit with PASSENGER stenciled on the back?
Warning: this article may contain humor, sarcasm, parody, and perhaps even irony. Read at your own risk.
...you should see a doctor ASAP.
Sacred cows make the best burgers.
I've gotten whacked with charged flash caps a number of times. It's about enough power to make you jump a bit and shake your hand.
The article talks about "holding it on someone for 5 seconds" - well, that won't do a damn thing; this is a capacitor, it discharges and that's it. There's a charging circuit, but it's very wimpy; it takes the circuit 5 to 10 seconds to put that much energy into a cap for a few millisecond shock.
You want a deterrent? Learn to run fast. You're going to need it, ESPECIALLY if you try to use one of these things.
After watching a video where they take apart a MuVo2 for its Hitachi Microdrive and then say the iPod mini has the same drive (correct, but the iPod's microdrive will NOT work in any digital cameras), I'm convinced TechTV's "dark tips" have become dangerously innacurate.
Don't do this. Compared to a stun gun, a photoflash capacitor stores a lower voltage, direct current high amperage charge which is delivered all at once. Yes, if delivered across the heart, it could be leathal. If delivered across flesh, it will burn you. In almost no cases will it stun you other than the surprise of getting shocked.
Real stun guns use a high frequency alternating current, VERY low amperage spark. Real stun guns are also quite cheap on eBay.
If you want to make a joke shocker from a disposable camera flash, here's a much safer method:
Get a cheap disposable camera and take it apart. Discharge the capacitor with a screwdriver. Get rid of the capacitor.
Notice the heavily insulated wire running to the center of the xenon photoflash bulb? Remove it from the photoflash bulb and attach a longer wire that will go to one of you're "shocker's" probes. Make sure the connection is well insulated.
Locate the portion of the circuit board that is shorted to activate the flash charging circuit. Usually, it's a small flexible metal "button" with plastic over it. Yank that sucker off of there and short the points on the board out with solder, or if you like, you can attach wires and add your own on/off switch.
Get a battery holder, some sort of case to put all this in, and a momentary pushbutton switch. Attach the wires from the battery holder to the circuit board, a wire from Negative to your other "shocker probe". Connect the momentary pushbutton switch to the trigger circuit (usually two peices of metal that were positioned near the shutter). Position the probes to be less than 1/8" apart. Put all this crap in a box and try it out. When you press the momentary pushbutton switch, you should get a nice spark.
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DRM is like antifreeze, to the MPAA/RIAA it's sweet, to the consumers it's poison.
Those who sacrifice security to condemn liberty deserve to repeat history or something. - Benjamin Santayana