So, I'm wanting to make my first simple shock toy. I know there are various sorts of different plans out there, I've searched these forums for them. But the one I want to make is a very simple version. I've tried it out already in my little electronic lab kit, you just hook up the battery (in the case of my kit, its a 9 volt), to a switch, and into the low end of a transformer. You press the switch and when the current is interrupted, a small jolt comes out the other end of the transformer.

Well what I need is to add something into the circuit, to make it pulse the current real fast to give a nice steady zap. I've heard that this is what an oscillator does, but when I went to the electronic store to pick one up there were so many different kinds that I had no idea which one to try out. Can someone tell me what type and size/rating I would need for this application?

Is a regular oscillator, like a crystal oscillator the best way to go, or is there some other component, or even a 555 timer (which I have no experience with, but would be willing to learn), that would be better? It would be cool if I could adjust the oscillation to make the shock feel a little different.

One last question in this post any suggestions on which battery type would be best, I'm sort of debating between a 9v, or a couple AA's. I want to keep it safe and low current, but still have a very strong feel to the shock.

Thanks.

carl...a simple innocent joke might sometimes go haywire....if ur making something like that,...plz keep the current very very low...my friend once went into palpitations and had to be rushed to hospital after another guy tried a shock toy on him just for fun....

As stated before, I do want to keep the current low. I know its possible to have shocks that feel pretty strong, but have low current. Maybe people are misinterpreting how strong I'm trying to make it. The example is the shock lighter. I've tried many brands of shock lighters, and despite the fact they all use only a AAA battery, some are very wimpy, and others are much better. The good ones give a strong enough shock that most people instinctively drop it, and anyone who wants to actually hold the button down will need a little focus and determination to do so. All that from one AAA. And they have been sold all over the place for years, I've never heard of anyone being harmed from a shock lighter.

Thats all I'm going for, a safe little shocker. I have a basic one made already with the battery hooked up to a switch and transformer, so I can rapidly press the button to feel the small jolt, but I need to learn what type of oscillator (or other component) to use, to break and complete the circuit very rapidly, rather than me physically pressing the button over and over.