What's inside this cheap insect zapper

[@Geniusinventor]

Can we all take a moment to appreciate the work this man is doing to show us their mosquito killer machine. Man is very entertaining and informative. Thank you

[@Geniusinventor]

@oddjobbob yea 🙌

[@mrkitty777]

I came watching his cat, his cat always has good ideas about electronics 😃😸

[@Conservator.]

The whole circuit is designed to protect the fuse! 😁

[@bluesteelbass]

I choked on my coffee with this comment! Cheers! 😂

[@mikixyz123]

True!!

[@Conservator.]

@@bluesteelbass Thanks for letting me know! I’m glad I wasn’t drinking mine when I read your comment. 😂

[@briansmith6096]

Damn, that was funny mate! 😄

[@ThermalWorld_]

Tea spiting everywhere 🤣

[@tomas_m]

- Dad, can we buy a wattmeter? - No, we have a wattmeter at home! * the wattmeter at home: 2:26

[@dwaynezilla]

17:25 Oh, also UV lamps don't attract mosquitoes and so most of what gets zapped isn't mosquitoes! They don't gaf about lights, only those exhaling, warm bloodbags sitting next to them.

[@petersage5157]

2:26 This is a good example of why Daniel includes the list of disclaimers at the beginning of each video. It's your own lookout if you go shoving screwdrivers into mains outlets! There are much safer ways of breaking in and measuring the current. What I use for this is almost as dodgy - a cheap extension cord with banana plugs on the neutral side - but it's all insulated and shrouded. Kinda like what Daniel demonstrates at 15:46.

[@dancoulson6579]

5:03 - The reason the tube looks dirts, it because it's bee coated with a resistive, transparent film. That's why the far end electrode has no dedicated wire going to it. The end close to the cap is connected to the center peice of the screw base. The far electrode is connected via the resistive coating to the outside part of the screw cap. The resistive coating not only limits current to the tube, but the waste heat it produces helps to warm the tube faster. Considering how much power is dissipated in a resistive dropper, it might be accurate to rate it for 15w. Coincidentally, a 15w incandescent lamp in series with a 4w fluorescent seems to match pretty well as a current limiting device.

[@Conservator.]

This lamp won’t attract many mosquitoes but it does attract Diodes gone wild 😜

[@mybb9200]

It's unbelievable how much cheap junk is imported from China which does not comply with European safety standards and sold in local supermarkets. One of my friends bought a musical disco lamp from a local supermarket here in Denmark. After several times of use, one day when he plugged it in, suddenly the cable exploded on the plug and tripped the room MCB. When I inspected the cable it appeared to be 2 x 0.75 mm2, but with closer inspection I discovered that the cable outer insulation was made of thick PVC, but the cable inner conductors were made of thin copper-cladded aluminum and with a cross section of less than 0.5 mm2. I even have seen plugs made of brass tube with plastic core rated 10A @ 250V. The Chinese are very inventive when it comes to manufacturing cheap junk.

[@SeanBZA]

Tube has an ITO coat on the outside, likely there to prevent static discharge, but here they reused it to save running a wire down, and also provides some current limiting, plus laso acts like a starting aid, with the high potential between the glass and the electrode helping the gas inside too ionise and start the lamp. Probably why the anode cap is attached so odd, they had to get them close to the glass, so put the spot weld up top of the cup, so it is right against the glass, so it will start ionising. Wonder how they got the mercury dose in there, probably a small drop of amalgam, that went in just before final seal, along with the gas fill, or they used the electrode cup to hold the drop of amalgam in place.

[@DiodeGoneWild]

Yes, the capacitive current via the glass helps the ignition. Well, there is a possibility the electrode was intentionally installed like this, but I still think it's a defect... I'd have to buy another to compare it. I guess they put more mercury in it than needed, some evaporates and the excess just stays liquid.

[@therealjammit]

I think the anode cap doubles as a "getter". They put a mercury in an absorptive and conductive material (like water in a sponge). After assembly the evacuate the glass. By using an RF coil near the getter it heats up and boils off mercury.

[@SeanBZA]

@@therealjammit Normally the dose is an amalgam of mercury with copper powder, put a drop in the tube, and then on first test in the factory it will boil off a tiny amount of mercury, and continue to do so for the life of the tube. No need to RF heat it or provide a getter, the tube is gas filled, so just has to be kept hot during pump down, easy on a production line, where the large wheel has the tube going through all processes one after the other, with sealing being the final stage. Amalgam and gas fill takes place after pump down and bake, so the gas pressure in the tube is right, and the heat also activates the amalgam to put a little mercury in the gas, so has to be done right before gas fill and sealing. Hard vacuum tubes need a getter, but here you actually want a soft tube. Getters do not work on soft tubes, especially mercury filled ones, they would be useless within hours from mercury poisoning.

[@annaplojharova1400]

The coating indeed has three functions: A starting aid, electrode connection and a ballasting spike limitting resistor all at once.

[@vevenaneathna]

ya ive been seeing more clever ITO products out of china lately like those cheap geiger tubes. instead of using an expensive metal to make a radiotranslucent cylender they will take a thin glass tube and coat it with ITO. not as good but orders of magnitude cheaper

[@johnwelbourn3811]

Your cat totally read my mind, it really made me laugh. Your cat is telepathic :-)

[@Martin-uf4ut]

Same, stick it on the mains, photonicinduction style

[@Xeno274]

Connect it directly on both ends without the resistance of the coating…

[@iamdarkyoshi]

Damn, we've had an amazing track record with bug zappers on this channel so far

[@worroSfOretsevraH]

You should also always brake the fuses apart to see what they are made of. I bet some fence wire. :)

[@mernok2001]

The fluorescent tube has a thin conductive coating in the inner glass to connect the electrode on the other end. It can be connected to 230V directly without ballast.

[@yoshiakihisha8496]

16:17 The cat really understand what we want

[@JaredKaragen]

I would guess the end of the bulb is using the wire to contact a conductive clear coating on the inside of the glass to bring the connection back to the socket. Most UV lamps in essence are running across mains with an inductor; they just got lazy, capacitor, resistor and a tube of questionably eye-safe output... That light blueish glow is usually from the "germicidal" type UV lamps.

[@DiodeGoneWild]

I think no UVC just because the glass that would pass UVC is more expensive than glass that blocks it.

[@atmel9077]

I have one like this and it has a proper fluorescent tube started which makes noise when it starts. When I saw this one startinn instantly with no sound that was already a bad sign... It's also really impressive to see they put a conductive transparent paint on the tube.

[@Tag-Traeumer]

Very interesting. About fifteen years ago I bought a similar lamp. I exchanged the tube for a small LED lamp. I saved the tube, it looks very similar to the one in the video, 240 V 50 Hz 4 W, also it has no wire connection of the upper electrode and also a plastic flower to fix the inner tube. In my tube, both electrodes are straight on the axis to the glass tube.

[@babythomas2902]

what is working volt for the Tube. Ac or Dc ? Not avail near shops. can we use LED Blue strips insted of this tube.?

[@Tag-Traeumer]

@@babythomas2902 My insect trap has an E14 socket installed. There is mains voltage: 230 volts and 50 hertz, i.e. alternating current AC (or maybe with reduced voltage because of the capacitive dropper like in the video, but my LED seems to light up normally). So you can use any small lamp with an E14 base and the appropriate voltage as a replacement for the fluorescent tube. LED strips should be possible if you can operate them on 230 volts AC and connect the contacts yourself. There are also electric insect traps with fluorescent tubes that have two pins at each end. These are connected to fluorescent tube start electronics and are therefore probably not suitable for LED lamps without modification.

[@dwaynezilla]

Scissors MVP _once again_

[@otaznikvykricnik5961]

I have similar zapper from Lidl. During two nights of operation it caught one mosquito and about three vinegar flies. I think they flew in there by coincidence. The light disturbs me from sleep much more than it attracts insects.

[@JohnnyX50]

Thank you Mr.D ! I have the exact same unit with the same bulb in it. I live in the UK and bought mine from a Petrol Station that sells random stuff from time to time. When I took a look at mine I was also scratching my head at how that bulb worked, you have solved a mystery for me and I love you for it! :D I did a bit of digging and you can buy those bulbs online but I cant remember the website. I just searched for insect killer bulbs small screw base cold cathode and eventually found them and quite cheap. I don't need one yet, but you do now lol :D I am sure you could modify the unit to be much more efficient and zappy ;) maybe a MOT on the end would deter the sneakiest of insects ha ha ha :D

[@windshield11]

Perfect for those bugs from that Space Marines movie lol

[@twocvbloke]

About 8 years ago I had a similar one, it burned out within a few minutes due to being made so poorly that it was a miracle it didn't catch fire immediately...

[@xntumrfo9ivrnwf]

Oh I have EXACTLY the same one! Looking forward to the video.

[@Fridelain]

I bought this on eBay years ago. The fluerescent tube was different, transparent, and produced the dangerous UV using for sterilizing. Looked like it was made by a small operation, used a plastic flower cutout as a spacer. It failed quickly. Replacement hard to find, single manufacturer. Repkaced with regukar lightbulb.

[@roberts1938]

There is a small hole on the metal holder of the fluorescent lamp. Do you think this is deliberate aging of the product? I noticed that bulbs with such holes burn out faster. What do you think about it?

[@DiodeGoneWild]

This doesn't have anything with the gas tight seal. In only equalizes the pressure in the section outside the sealed tube or bulb.

[@atdzsny]

17:30 "I'm not an expert" - Yes, you are. :)

[@ovalwingnut]

Cat'Tastic Autopsy.. and some GR8T down home InfoTainment. 100 points awarded (please share with CAT) Cheers!

[@BasementBen]

Hi, I've been watching for years and learned alot and wondered if you have a video Instructing how you reverse engineer PCB's onto paper schematics? You're an inspiration

[@techtinkerin]

I had a disco lamp UV blacklight that attracted fly's a lot more than these light blue bulbs do I never understood why they don't use them in fly zappers..❤️👍😎

[@elyeryan8838]

I once disassembled a tube from an insect zapper like this, it was labeled as 2 watts, this time they just used a screwable base from 15w fridge bulbs because they didn't have the proper parts?

[@DiodeGoneWild]

well, you may be right. Maybe the base is just a leftover from a tungsten lamp production...

[@peteb2]

That has been such a great 18minutes of video. I've been entertained & learned a few things along the way so thank you so much. Wow, what a piece of completely terrible junk & why was it made so badly is something that says there really is a problem out there with how us humans are living when this kind of thing appears to happening more & more!

[@abdel-hadikaddour8400]

شكرا جزيلا لي صاحب المقطع علي مجهوداته الجبارة

[@WagTsX]

this device seems to be completely made by a drunk person, from the schematic to assembly, nothing really makes sense. Also I hate when electronics have fuses way higher than needed, for example, computer PSUs with real 180W generally have the same 6.3A fuse inside, when they'll never see more than 2.5A even if plugged into 100V mains. I generally replace the original fuse of all my stuff with proper ones, with orders of magnitude less current, because I want my fuses to blow first not last. In the case of those ultra low power devices like this one, I have a pack of 0.5A fuse that I use. I also use those same 0.5A fuse for stuff plugged into my UPS, because in case of short circuit, the UPS can (I tested) blow the 0.5A without triggering protection and powering off all the stuff on its load, but if I use a 2A fuse or higher, it'll shutdown.

[@cmuller1441]

BTW the 630V capacitor is not good enough. Here I often get almost 240V ac. So the peak is 340V. Doubled it's 680V. A 800V rating would be better... 630V is only capable of handling 222V ac...

[@DiodeGoneWild]

Yes, I'd use 1000V, but I've even seen 400V capacitors used for the same purpose...

[@aydinhusein240]

thank you very much for all your videos . I have a question . why led lamps has a bridge rectifier in it . the leds also are diodes . then why a led not be used as diode+light source . or . even can be used instead of bridge rectifier .

[@udhi_gn3893]

The reason is for smoother DC output and minimizing flicker. Notice that the bridge rectifier is often a part of a buck regulator. Yes it's true that LEDs are diodes but running them on AC without rectification would cause flicker. Cheaper bulbs often only have half wave rectifier or none at all and it flickers like hell at mains frequency

[@sirusgalt5931]

I appreciate your work man. I'd be interested to see how you would build a similar bug zapper.

[@nophead]

I think the reason the tube looked dirty is the conductive coating. Perhaps it is just a thin layer of graphite.

[@janzahradnik8089]

When the Fluorescent tube is connected via a capacitivr dropper from half mains voltage is longer live a tube?

[@Scavage0001]

Cat also say to put the 600v mesh to mains

[@May_Flower3]

I absolutely love your accent

[@michaelfisher9671]

Suspect it should be drawing 15w but because it was broken in transit, it’s barely lighting at all

[@DiodeGoneWild]

It would never draw 15W with a 47nF capacitor in series.

[@michaelfisher9671]

@@DiodeGoneWild hmmm true forgot that. Still curious whether it would draw 15w connected direct to mains if it wasn't broken

[@SeanBZA]

@@DiodeGoneWild Probably meant to have a 680n capacitor instead of 47n, but they ran out of the 680n capacitors. Fuse likely is recycled ewaste, probably cheaper than a wire jumper.

[@BobT36]

"mercury splash container".. Reminds me of the welding mask.

[@rjones8508]

As another viewer suggested, wonder how safe are the UV emissions. Can that even be measured using DIY parts?

[@DiodeGoneWild]

It's probably just UVA, not UVC. Most materials block UVC. You actually have to use special and more expensive glass in a UVC lamp to pass the UVC.

[@Vilvaran]

For the most part, yes you could measure it with some LED arrays , one with glass and one without - though you'd have to use blue SMD LEDs, theoretically if there's a significant portion of UVC hitting the arrays, the 'unshielded' set should show a somewhat higher output current. Using a differential amplifier you can observe this voltage difference, and feed it to a meter or whatnot... ...If you only needed light intensity readings UVA and under, a typical amorphous panel from a garden light will suffice!

[@erickvond6825]

The opposite electrode couples to the tube through capacitive inductance from the zapping aray.

[@johnshaw359]

Its cardboard box says "this is crap" but I carried on watching regardless.

[@rkan2]

Would the fuse location be ok if the lamp was meant to be directly connected to mains like any incandescent or fluorescent since they are also not fused?

[@johnfiott]

Ok I get that it does not work fully as intended. But, light apart, it seems to me that it would still zap an insect that gets in the grid. How dangerous would it be to a human who touches the grid?

[@DiodeGoneWild]

The zap from the capacitor would only go through couple mm of your skin, not your heart. But you're still touching mains via a 10k resistor, this would pass up to 23mA through your body if you're grounded.

[@tatkosmolko1672]

Som čital že "Apač Hmyzu" - napadol mna Vinetou, ktory s placačkou pobehuje po týpí a nahána muchy :D

[@gabest4]

I'm been owning one of these for 30 years at least. Never cought anything.

[@mranvick3512]

[Putting screwdrivers in AC mains holes] -> Super Dodgy ! ^^

[@electronic7979]

I liked it

[@odindimartino597]

I had the same but it didn't work when I pluged it. I done a teardown but I didn't understood how the tube work

[@Kotylion94]

> why does the fuse has to be rated 6.3 bloody amps? That's actually pretty simple to answer, because 6.3A fuse was cheaper than proper 100-300mA by some 0.00001$. That's why Chinese electronics designer has chosen 6.3A fuse.

[@pirelli77]

It would have been interesting if you had tuned it to 3 watts (or more) and more volts so that the mosquitoes are really grilled, not just tickled!!! hahaha 😂😂

[@LawpickingLocksmith]

Now Clive stripped a newer one, they flies are praying?

[@Jonodrew1286]

Pretty sure you are bang on as usual 👌👍👍

[@Clancydaenlightened]

14:25 you've built a bunch of tesla coils, ever try wireless powering a light bulb with one, seems like the same concept

[@Clancydaenlightened]

Using a virtual ground

[@-yeme-]

never seen a tube like that before

[@ShowXTech]

2:30 Are you using A True RMS Multimeter?

[@DiodeGoneWild]

this one is not true RMS. It's old, from about 2002.

[@ShowXTech]

@@DiodeGoneWild 15:45 But here you used one

[@THEMFORMATION]

For future reference, would you mind split screening your schematic simeautanously with the circuit board? Not a big deal but I tend to go back and forth quite a bit, even if just for a second would help. Great work as always thank you very much! Very underared channel!

[@SuperNeotendo]

yeah, but how to tune that thing to zapp the insects?

[@MC-01]

Funniest video yet so far I've seen in the history of the channel

[@instantfixer]

Good video but 1 mistake, you measured power consumption when zapping cap was fully charged so it was only consumption of the light...

[@NaoPb]

I always knew these were crappy. The lamps die so fast on them. Very annoying. Quite interesting tube in this one though.

[@pchaayeshanaik1922]

good video : )

[@Broken_Yugo]

That's a rather wimpy bug zapper, I have the transformer out of an old US market one that's claims 5kV@9mA, air gapped core for current limiting, I figure it will make a nice desktop Jacobs ladder or maybe a small tesla coil.

[@mernok2001]

Your mercury splash container wouldnt work if the tube opened on the end with the input wires.

[@FixTronics]

That zapper looks much worse than Chinese zappers🤣

[@Conservator.]

It’s much better from the perspective of a fly.

[@TheDeadfast]

This is nothing but a cheap Chinese zapper with a Czech manual, resold at 100x the price by an unnamed supermarket.

[@plageran]

so that's how you calculate amp's, thanks man

[@nielsdaemen]

Litterally every other component would blow before that fuse would!😭

[@RODALCO2007]

Interesting with the clear conductive coating on the tube. Those zappers are pretty useless.

[@δωμάτιομελέτης]

Oh my godddd 😱😱... How did your cat know what i was gonna say....something smells fishy here😁

[@Gameplayer55055]

Why are there no some expensive quality devices to kill insects. I would buy such insect killer, that works well, isn't rubbish and makes slow mo of dying mosquitoes

[@some-random-guy-l4r]

Really low that insanely safe current measurement using two screwdrivers

[@WeBeGood06]

Light Frequency?

[@diyordie7431]

Looks like they build it from random parts :)

[@lmwlmw4468]

Nice.

[@jp040759]

Crazy strange things on this device. Clear conductive coating is pretty cool.

[@celsoneves2368]

Good!.

[@Electronichub_05]

Wow i found one of these last year in my local ewaste xD

[@imnotbeluga007]

This looks familiar..... but without any LEDs....

[@samuelgilbert9734]

Super Dodgy!

[@rilosvideos877]

It seems they just used some parts lying around or cheaply available, like the fuse ... Quality made in China of corse ;-)

[@nasserdiyqtrdny9500]

misquito killer makes me jump when I turn on the device

[@catchinoyo]

In which language do you speak?

[@DavidMG99]

👍👍

[@manudehanoi]

i'm heeerrrrreeeeeh for de voiceeeeeeeeeeeeh

[@1marcelfilms]

I had a shitty one from lidl just like that!! the lamp driver died after less than a year

[@rene0]

CE certified vs e-bay: 0-1

[@SidewaysStewie]

So many scriuuws

[@sforman2622]

Maybe, až tam bude naprskanej hmyz, tak se to zvedne o ten bor....l na 3W :-)

[@abdel-hadikaddour8400]

يا غشاشين هادا العالم ، ربي يفظحكم من خلال هادو العباقرة، تجارتكم فيها ربا ،الله يمحق الريبا و يرضي الصدقات، كثر الغش، و بي سبب هادا الشر كثر حوادث المنزلية بي سبب غشكم علي الناس، و ستحاسبون عند الله الذي لا يضلم عنده أحد

[@piconano]

That was very interesting. Useless and dodgy, but interesting.

[@qo92]

TIL a new way to measure current. Super dodgy! 😁😁

jůžuely maksimum pauvr is only on píks not ól d tajm, so zýro pojnt six watts is ekspektyd, bat ven moskýtou tačis grid it probebly píks olmoust to trý watts.

[@Purple431]

Looks like the same zapper from ebay

[@nortenhardenberg1598]

No maus drowing this time????? Ha, Ha, Ha!

[@tinkeringstuffs6542]

More of these xD

[@jkobain]

I reckon you should report this fraudulent product.

[@Tomas_Stec]

Pure Chinesium.

[@Rosenrot_raccoon]

CE - China Export