HarveyH42

I wired up a camera flash yesterday, but didn't use it. Was a little concerned that the capacitor kept charging past 300 volts (rating of the cap). Stopped at 310 volts. Not sure if it would have stopped before exploding. Added a second 160 uF/300 volt cap in parallel, hoping the charge would slow a little... didn't. Did blast a small hole in the bottom of a beer can when I discharged it though. Wondering if I took too much stuff off the flash board. I stripped it down to the essentials (PCB was cracked, traces broken around the flash tube and neon bulb). Guessing the neon was the limiter, should probably figure out which resistor, and solder it back across the caps...

Soldered some alligator clips on a power cord, figure if that fails, I can try 110 VAC. I've got a couple of tiny 16 watt inverters, that run off 9.6 volt battery pack. They're for charging cellphones, Ipods, and stuff. Should be relatively safe. Only got about two hours with a string of white LED Christmas lights.

Bought a $5 lamp dimmer at Walmart, figure I'll look up the ignition coil circuit we had here a couple of weeks ago. Pretty sure I had some low value start/run capacitors, don't remember the voltage though.

Boncuk

Why mobilize an entire army for a few rats?

Rats and mice have one thing in common: They dislike high audio frequencies.
Build a sweep oszillator covering the frequency range from 16 to 30KHz. Use an amplifier delivering approx. 10W pure sine wave for the output and use four speakers for equal sound distribution.

No problem for people because their audible sensitivity starts deteriorating at 14KHz normally.

I know from experience that there were neither mice nor rats within a radius of 10km around a German air field where they used jet trainers of the type "Fouga Magister", a twin engine airplane with engines as big as a honey bucket but with extremely high turbine rpm. (80.000 to 100.000) causing a high pitch tone.

An alternative method is burrying some beer bottles with different water levels in the ground with the bottle neck in the air. The wind will convert the bottles into organ pipes which mice, rats and an animal which I don't know the name of (digs through the garden and leaves huge piles of soil, German name is "Maulwurf") don't like either because of the frequencies.

Both methods work well where the latter requires wind.

Try that method instead of setting up your neighbors with the sound of a Bazooka.

Boncuk

ReallyConfuzed

Your not by any chance in the Tampa area?

HarveyH42

Saint Cloud...

Boncuk, thanks for the suggestion will keep them in mind, but this isn't an infestation, just a single rat (for now). Not too sure I want to try the sound stuff, my puppy might not like it much. He's just about a year old now, just figured out how to bark (kind of weird). Fortunately, he only barks to alert me, don't want to encourage more.

Anyway, put a 1 meg resistor on the neon, seems to at least slow the charging once it lights. So hooked it up outside, and will flip the switch in an hour or so. Hopefully, that will be the end of it. Got some new toys to play with.

HarveyH42

Ran this thing for two nights, off on 'C' battery, neon light was off this morning. Guessing the battery is spent. It was an old, cheap, off-brand so not too bad. No dead rat hanging off the wire. The dog wasn't finding anything of interest on the porch (yes, I discharge the caps, before letting him out). Hopefully, the rat moved on. Either it's none lethal, or the rat was only injured. Wonder what it would do to the male cat that sprays in my carport...

xl5

Cat's cant speak but millions & millions of em have owners worldwide who can.... you you.... Elmer Fudge NUT. laugh, chortle.?

xl5

Don't hurt the F--- cat's ELMER.

HarveyH42

Chill, it was a joke. My neighbor has eleven cat, who knows how many strays he's feeding. Never a good idea to piss off your next door neighbor. He didn't say anything about the ultrasonic experiments, little concerned about the automatic airsoft turret, not to thrill with my new Lab puppy. There are limits, no harm thinking it, but wouldn't actually harm any of his cats.

Anyway, packed up today, got some rain, expect more. Just finished putting a low lux B/W camera in a case, also put 36 IR LEDs in as well. Ran a cable, just taking a quick break before mounting the camera. Should be able to see if there is still some rat activity.

HarveyH42

Well, the Rat-Cam was a success, unfortunately the rat is alive and well. Did go out of its way to avoid the area I previously had wired up, so guessing it received some negative-reinforcement. Have to figure out a better way to string the stainless wire, so I can move it more easily. Not too many options safe for the dog. Guess it's time for the ignition coil. Least I'll be able turn it off and on from inside the house.

xl5

Elmer,
Suspect you are no joker! and as you have suggested you would like to kill vermin electronically your aside's about a pet that is loved (cat) by a lot of human beings is noted not by me alone.

You talk as if you are on a local forum instead your thought's are going worldwide

Torben

Gotta side with Harvey on this. I'm a card-carrying cat lover (I like most animals) and I had no trouble seeing that he was not being serious.

I think you're going a little over the top.


Torben

killivolt

Rat's and mice tend to lay down a scent trail. They will travel the same path normally. This may be an aid to what ever you attempt next. But what ever you do try to catch it on tape. Maybe just a live trap would be ok! Then have it humanly disposed of.

__________________
Truthiness Monkeys : Obedience, Ignorance, Fear.

Pommie

Harvey,

Ignore the "can't read between the lines people" and give us an update. This is better than any soap. Will Ratty live or die, I gotta know!

Mike.

audioguru

The soaps are all the same. Ratty will mate and produce hundreds of little ratties.

__________________
Uncle $crooge

HarveyH42

Wow... Where to start. Think there is more then one, could only see shadows outside the camera's focus. Either one very active rat, or several. need a better mount, the one I'm using was for a cheaper (well cost more, quality...) camera. The CS mount lens is fine for close up, just found a better one to swap, and cover more area. Still can't find my tripod, maybe my brother borrowed, never used it much since I went digital.

The rat avoids the zapper. Really need to go solar, a 'C' size battery only lasts for two nights. Should put the zapper in a waterproof box, but kind of need to upgrade, definitely not doing any good.

I like all animals, but they need to stay where they belong. The problem with the neighbor, and his cats, is over population. I live in town, and his property is good for maybe 4-5 cats. He keeps 2-3 times that many (takes in any strays), and they spill over, mostly using my property as a toilet or breeding ground. Hard to tell the difference between fighting and mating... Personally, I prefer a Siamese, the females are better pets, but expensive to get fixed, which is must (real pain when the go into heat). Really hadn't meant to stir up so much trouble, been posting my various schemes and circuits for dealing with my neighbors cats for the past couple of years.

Wild rats, yes I think they need to die. They are use to the city life, and catching them live, and releasing them on somebody else isn't right. They will do costly damage to a home. They breed very quickly. Pretty sure, mine came from the construction on the property other side of the cat guy's. It's a torn up mess in progress for almost 4 years now, and they just start working on it again about two weeks ago (same as the start of my problems).

Going to get some spring traps and poison packs this weekend for indoors, and away from anywhere the dog can get to. Just to make sure they stay outside, if it going to be an invasion.

Still want to build a better zapper, but I need something I can move around easier. Instead of wire, I'm going to try a platform with bait (hot lunch).