LIVE WIRE - PLEASE TOUCH

[jw]

I'm all set for this years Halloween.

I have a piece of heavy electrical cable laying on my sidewalk with the bare ends exposed. The original project was to put a flashing LED between the wires to look like sparks, but it looked really fake. I wanted real sparks. Then I found a way to do it. It's connected to a hidden car ignition coil and the pulser circuit from a cattle fence charger and a car battery. There is a long (about 1/2 inch spark between the wires due to a spark gap (a broken carbon resistor) between the conductors, which makes a very visible and loud snap. Next to the wire I placed a sign that reads "LIVE WIRE - PLEASE TOUCH". So far no one has touched it, but I've gotten lots of comments. This should get lots of attention on halloween. Several friends have gotten a good laugh out of it.

[jw]

I'm all set for this years Halloween.

I have a piece of heavy electrical cable laying on my sidewalk with the bare ends exposed. The original project was to put a flashing LED between the wires to look like sparks, but it looked really fake. I wanted real sparks. Then I found a way to do it. It's connected to a hidden car ignition coil and the pulser circuit from a cattle fence charger and a car battery. There is a long (about 1/2 inch spark between the wires due to a spark gap (a broken carbon resistor) between the conductors, which makes a very visible and loud snap. Next to the wire I placed a sign that reads "LIVE WIRE - PLEASE TOUCH". So far no one has touched it, but I've gotten lots of comments. This should get lots of attention on halloween. Several friends have gotten a good laugh out of it.

[jw]

I'm all set for this years Halloween.

I have a piece of heavy electrical cable laying on my sidewalk with the bare ends exposed. The original project was to put a flashing LED between the wires to look like sparks, but it looked really fake. I wanted real sparks. Then I found a way to do it. It's connected to a hidden car ignition coil and the pulser circuit from a cattle fence charger and a car battery. There is a long (about 1/2 inch spark between the wires due to a spark gap (a broken carbon resistor) between the conductors, which makes a very visible and loud snap. Next to the wire I placed a sign that reads "LIVE WIRE - PLEASE TOUCH". So far no one has touched it, but I've gotten lots of comments. This should get lots of attention on halloween. Several friends have gotten a good laugh out of it.

[bob haller]

you can put something on a table mark it bodly dont touch.

it will have small contacts and a motion switch, pick it up ZAP, the parts are all timy using a 9 volt battery, so its non hazardous:)

Saw this at a hamfest so many picked it up and got zapped

[HeyBub]

An absolute hoot of an idea!

Keep 'em coming.

[jw]

I've seen those things.....

When I was a kid, my uncle somehow rigged up a car ignition coil to an old wooden chair. It was connected to one of those old dry cell batteries that were about the size of a 16 oz beer can. There was also a capacitor on it. I was pretty young, but I used to play around with electricity when I a kid (batteries only). I remember the ignition coil, capacitor and that battery. I'm not sure how the circuit worked, but there was a metal strip on each arm rest, so obviously that was where the zap came from . What I remember most is that that sucker gave me a good shock. He used to get everyone to sit in that silly chair. He statted with the kids, and then got the adults after they were drinking. It didn't feel good, but it was fun.

To this day, I'm not sure how it worked, because a coil needs an AC circuit to spark. I have a feeling that he had a hidden switch on there that would dump the charged capacitor into the coil.

Now a days if you do something like that to a kid, you'll probably get arrested, but I have fond memories of that goofy chair. I thought my uncle was prety smart to make that thing.....

[HeyBub]

Uh, no. There's no AC on an automobile and yet a spark of 20,000 volts is produced hundreds of times per second.

Here's how:

As low voltage is applied to a coil, a magnetic field is created. When the voltage is removed, the field collapses, inducing a voltage in the secondary of the coil. The amount of windings in the secondary determines the voltage created by this collapsing magnetic field and the induced voltage can be almost astronomical.

[jw]

I know there is no AC voltage in a car. Batteries are DC. However, simulated AC is produced by the ignition points. I know it's not really "alternating". The rest of this you got right and is exactly how it works. Yes, I know most modern cars have electronic ignition to replace the points that were used in the older cars. Today you only find points in lawnmower engines, and even some of them are electronic these days.

[mike]

You're an IDIOT! If anybody, or their dog, gets shocked, you'll spend the night in jail...and maybe some time in court. Find something else to amuse yourself.