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stun gun acquisition and testing

Ok, this post is for all the people making a big fuss when I asked about stun gun components. I got ahold of one this week called VIPERTEK VTS-881, a small red unit with a claimed "35 billion" volts. This design comes in many forms and is marketed by different firms with Vipertek being only one.

First tests were spark gap distance. Just under 1/2". Spark gap is adjustable and discharges really slow down/ stop at 1/2" or more. So, what does that tell you about voltage? For one thing, no where near the volts advertised.

Next tests were one me. Now keep in mind before you shout, if you are in a country where they are illegal, then don't read the post and certainly don't reply. If I get any heat from this report, you go into the kill file immediately so I won't see any further posts. Where I am in the US, they are LEGAL.

I first adjusted the spark gap for maximum distance, then tested myself in six different spots: right arm, stomach, upper leg, side, foot, and finally shoulder. Each spot was energized with electrodes pressed against the skin for 2-4 seconds (there's no way this thing is going to penetrate through most clothing, by the way). It took four tries before I even began to feel much other than a tingle. Finally, pain increased a bit in arm and shoulder. If I were to scale it, I would say 5/10 at most. Would it have stopped me from attacking someone who used it one me? No.

I don't know what all the fuss was about. It's clear that these are being falsely marketed from the start and giving people a false sense of security. I'd be more concerned over this then my irrelevant request for substitute parts. Now, that being said, keep in mind that I am 6'

1" tall and 215 lbs and healthy. You still wouldn't want to use this on the elderly or anyone with heart issues or a pacemaker, nor is everyone else going to respond to the shocks the way I did. However, after the apparent rukus I made with my prior post, I felt it was time to see just how much relevancy there was behind it. Now it should be clear. Bye.
Reply to
TheExperimenter
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Well there ya go !! feel better now?

Reply to
Rheilly Phoull

k gap is

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It just goes to show irrelevancy at its finest and how easy it often is to defeat.

Reply to
TheExperimenter

Yes. Plonk.

Reply to
Sjouke Burry

Yo you ever tried dating girls or something to get a thrill? It's a hobby less hazardous to your health...sometimes cheaper, too

Reply to
bitrex

k gap is

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Yes to the above, but it was necessary to make a point on unwarranted behavior first.

Reply to
TheExperimenter

That 35 billion volts should be a tipoff the thing is a toy.

The 35 billion volts would probably throw an arc miles long.

Lightning is reported ot have from 100 million to 1 billion volts.

Tasers are only around 50,000 volts

Reply to
Ralph Mowery

It's about 3000V/mm so ballpark 35kV

35GV would produce gamma rays. 
--
  When I tried casting out nines I made a hash of it.
Reply to
Jasen Betts

The OP didn't have to tell us he was American it's entirely natural process for an American to not at all believe what some engineers say about it and have to shock themselves multiple times with a stun gun to figure out that it doesn't actually produce 35 billion volts, and write an angry letter to the mfgr that it didn't at all blast them straight thru a wall when it was turned on. what a rip off.

I have some understanding of the psychology of my compatriots. /shrug

Reply to
bitrex

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rk gap is

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Unfortunately, such an angry letter would do no good since *many* venders are selling these identical units under many different brand names and models.

Well, before I tested it, I did some research. Information is available

online as to its true voltage and current, both of which were the determining factors to test or not.

Reply to
TheExperimenter

Depends a bit on air pressure and a lot on humidity but probably somewhere between 10kV and 30kV if it will only jump half an inch.

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Could even be less if the electrodes are sharp and pointed.

These are real sparks and real men inside the chain mail suits:

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(skip the first minute of dross)

This would stop your attacker but it isn't very portable.

Darwin award candidate.

--
Regards, 
Martin Brown
Reply to
Martin Brown

Vos non potestis figere stultus.

Peter Wieck Melrose Park, PA

Reply to
peterwieck33

Or as they say around here, "You can't fix stupid."

--
"I am a river to my people." 
Jeff-1.0 
WA6FWi 
http:foxsmercantile.com
Reply to
Fox's Mercantile

Thanks for sharing, I enjoyed that video.

Why test on yourself? Just go on youtube and watch hundreds of videos of police tasering people. Most of the time they are not incapacitated, they just keep screaming "stop tasering me."

Reply to
Tim R

2 reasons:

1) To prove that the devices being marketed to the public are *not* the same devices the police are using (aka false advertising) and

2) To address all those here with unwarranted concern. There is concern, but is not the concern that should have been addressed.
Reply to
TheExperimenter

k gap is

So,

ear

I agree, it would. I've built Tesla coils in the past, nothing like the

ones they used there, but typical NST driven units. Nothing beyond 5" sparks, but it was fun.

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Reply to
TheExperimenter

Well, I think I stand corrected here because I didn't give the device enough credit (thinking it was only about 20 kV). However, after rechecking the spark gap distance and using the fomula (kV) = 76.2 x spark length (in inches) with the spark gap being 3/8", that comes out to 28.5 kV. From the tingles I experienced, I suspect the resistance of the body greatly reduces that which is why the device isn't effective.

Reply to
TheExperimenter

All of this is very true. I'm surprised they can get away with such false advertising for years, but no one seems willing to do anything about the dysfunctional phone system in the US either.

Reply to
TheExperimenter

Put the thing in a different enclosure and it's a bedroom "toy" for the "open minded" couple.

Reply to
bitrex

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Reply to
TheExperimenter

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