Silicon Chip TENS project.

[Bob Parker]

I just bought a super-cheap K-3705 Pocket TENS kit at my local DSE.
Has anyone had any experience with using them? I've heard they can work
pretty well.

Bob

 

[Trevor Wilson]

I just bought a super-cheap K-3705 Pocket TENS kit at my local DSE. Has
anyone had any experience with using them? I've heard they can work pretty
well.

**I use one of my own design when I strain my back. Works well.

 

[Bob Parker]

**I use one of my own design when I strain my back. Works well.

Thanks Trev. I'm gunna have a go at building it this arvo.

Cheers
Bob

 

[Jonno]

Thanks Trev. I'm gunna have a go at building it this arvo.

Cheers
Bob

Too much benchwork Bob?

 

[Bob Parker]

Too much benchwork Bob?

I don't think so. Well I've finally finished assembling the
board, replacing the 63V rated caps with ones which can handle the up to
80V on them (including the one in series with the victim).
If this was the first kit I'd ever assembled, it would put me off
kit building for life. What a fiddly design. Most of the controls are
very non-linear and I'm still not sure if it'll fit into the case when I
get time to try that part of the shoe-horning. It's taken twice as long
as I expected so far.
Grrrrr.

Bob

 

[Jonno]

I don't think so. Well I've finally finished assembling the board,
replacing the 63V rated caps with ones which can handle the up to 80V on
them (including the one in series with the victim).
If this was the first kit I'd ever assembled, it would put me off kit
building for life. What a fiddly design. Most of the controls are
very non-linear and I'm still not sure if it'll fit into the case when I
get time to try that part of the shoe-horning. It's taken twice as long
as I expected so far.
Grrrrr.

Bob

Yeah well you didnt design it did you. Yours went EXTRA well. <Jon
Sucking up)grin!

 

[Bob Parker]

Yeah well you didnt design it did you. Yours went EXTRA well. <Jon
Sucking up)grin!

Your cheque's in the mail!

 

[Jonno]

Your cheque's in the mail!

Nuh Money dont talk with me its ethics.
How about re designing the Tens unit and marketing it your self.

 

[Bob Parker]

Nuh Money dont talk with me its ethics.
How about re designing the Tens unit and marketing it your self.

Thanks for the suggestion. First I'll see how the SC one goes, and
find out if it really does relieve pain.

 

[Jonno]

Thanks for the suggestion. First I'll see how the SC one goes, and
find out if it really does relieve pain.

Actually I believe it can work both ways, and also be converted to a
cattle prod, and electric fence (grin) May be handy all around tool.
Turn the tens to up stun. Ow I feel a pain coming on. OK turn it down
again. Electric fence on the bed room for those chilly " dont come near
me" nights. (Just some more suggestions.)
Great for catching those damn elusive tropical fish, and maybe a spot of
illegal fishing in the local swimming hole when the drought breaks.
(Maybe I'm being a bit too hopeful here.)

 

[Bob Parker]

Actually I believe it can work both ways, and also be converted to a
cattle prod, and electric fence (grin) May be handy all around tool.
Turn the tens to up stun. Ow I feel a pain coming on. OK turn it down
again. Electric fence on the bed room for those chilly " dont come near
me" nights. (Just some more suggestions.)
Great for catching those damn elusive tropical fish, and maybe a spot of
illegal fishing in the local swimming hole when the drought breaks.
(Maybe I'm being a bit too hopeful here.)

So it'd be a kind of "General-purpose Variable High Voltage Pulse
Generator"! It would be very suitable for use on newsgroup trolls when
turned up to "Flat out".
We'd have to include a disclaimer along the lines of "Not suitable
for children under the age of 10" or similar, to cover ourselves.

 

[Jonno]

So it'd be a kind of "General-purpose Variable High Voltage Pulse
Generator"! It would be very suitable for use on newsgroup trolls when
turned up to "Flat out".
We'd have to include a disclaimer along the lines of "Not suitable
for children under the age of 10" or similar, to cover ourselves.

Yeah you could provide it for free for those trolls that previously
missed the shock treatment, and do the instructions in "Chinglish" so
they would reverse the settings. (Allthough that may not be overkill as
they dont or cant read instructions anyway)
Actually the experiments from Tesla where people would loose control of
their bowels should be studied, and perhaps be incorporated as a special
extra "feature" for those that fall outside the "normal" region.

Hell I didnt think I could be so evil. Just call me "Doctor"

If we could incorperate false target indicator for those speed cameras
it would be an ideal device.

 

[quietguy]

Actually Jonno that might be a good idea, and a real money maker. I wonder
if one of those welding helmet thingos that react to the flash VERY quickly
could be used - eg cover the number plate with the normally clear glass.
When the speed camera flashes it would turn dark making the number plate
unphotographical (hey! I think I invented a new word)

Wonder whether it would work

David - still having fun with ideas

 

[Jonno]

Actually Jonno that might be a good idea, and a real money maker. I wonder
if one of those welding helmet thingos that react to the flash VERY quickly
could be used - eg cover the number plate with the normally clear glass.
When the speed camera flashes it would turn dark making the number plate
unphotographical (hey! I think I invented a new word)

Wonder whether it would work

David - still having fun with ideas

A simple synchro flash unit you can buy, will do this.It would have to
be set up properly though and is not guaranteed to work as you want.
Of course you wouldn't want to go speeding in the first place as its
antisocial, dangerous.
Though, punishment doesn't fit the crime the crime these days,
especially in Victoria, with a small variation attracting a fine of some
$130 while in other states it is much less. 5% variation.
Safer drivers being targeted. I always thought minor speed variations
allowed you to pass safely not as is happening now.
Re RADAR target generators:
For some reason Silicon chip wasn't interested when I mentioned it.
Flash is being phased out (not at night) due to the fact it could be
used to trigger a photo flash. Which is what some smart operators have
done. It makes it easier of course to over expose film type cameras,
but I dont know how it would go for digital type cameras.
But I do have the circuit for a radar detection and false target
generator. Sends out a false speed and overwhelms the camera.
For testing of radar accuracy only of course. (Legal for this only)
As it uses a radar detector for trigger, it is illegal.
Is getting crazier and crazier in Australia. Its sad to read GPS is now
being banned in Swiss land if it incorporated with a warning for fixed
camera sites. Multinova speed camera manufacturers interference I reckon
(they make them there)
As they do not detect moveable RADAR they merely make the drivers aware
of their responsibility near these areas, which I hope would be the
idea. Make them slow down. A compliant driver is safer than a non
compliant driver. Why the ban? Couldn't be revenue(shudder) could it?

Circuit available on request.

 

[Bob Parker]

Hear Hear. 35 minutes, from opening package to calibration. Only a mk I,
but still excellent. Bob, do you want a photo of an ESR meter sitting
next to a switched-off network analyser? figure out my addy and email me
if you do

I shoulda bought one a few years ago, it would have been worth $100. for
$25 its a steal! Thanks for your efforts, its a design to be proud of.

Cheers
Terry

35 minutes? That must be some kind of record! Glad you like it.

For everyone who's dying to hear about the TENS project, I got it
finished and it did fit into its case, and it does appear to do what
it's supposed to do.
It would be nice to see 100V or higher-rated capacitors where
there's up to 80V in the circuit, not 63V-rated ones. Even the caps in
the photos in the original SC article are 63V.
With all the warnings in the article about not using any kind of
mains power supply for safety reasons, you'd think they'd pay more
attention to the voltage rating of the capacitor in series with the
output, as well as the filter caps for the relatively high voltage
rail.


Bob

 

[Bob Parker]

Bob, do you want a photo of an ESR meter sitting
next to a switched-off network analyser? figure out my addy and email me
if you do

Hi Terry,
I've tried several different possibilities for your real e-mail
address, and they all bounce.
Is it your first name, last name, full name with an underscore
between them or something else in the part before the "@"?

Bob

 

[Jonno]

35 minutes? That must be some kind of record! Glad you like it.

For everyone who's dying to hear about the TENS project, I got it
finished and it did fit into its case, and it does appear to do what
it's supposed to do.
It would be nice to see 100V or higher-rated capacitors where there's
up to 80V in the circuit, not 63V-rated ones. Even the caps in the
photos in the original SC article are 63V.
With all the warnings in the article about not using any kind of
mains power supply for safety reasons, you'd think they'd pay more
attention to the voltage rating of the capacitor in series with the
output, as well as the filter caps for the relatively high voltage
rail.


Bob

it might be in many millionth of a milliamp, which may not do any
damage. (if you ken figure that one out.)
Does it help with pain though, as I may try get one myself. If there's
any left.

 

[Bob Parker]

it might be in many millionth of a milliamp, which may not do any
damage. (if you ken figure that one out.)

It might be. They might suddenly go short-circuited too. It's
fundamental to good design practice that you never operate a component
right on or close to any of its maximum ratings, let alone way above
them. Especially if there's a safety aspect involved.

Does it help with pain though, as I may try get one myself. If there's
any left.

A mate of mine's got some kind of painful muscle spasms in his
shoulder. The specialist he saw the other day actually used a
professional TENS unit on him for a while, which seemed to help a bit.
When we tried the SC one, my mate said the effect was exactly the same
as with the professional unit.

I suppose it works ...


Bob

 

[Jonno]

It might be. They might suddenly go short-circuited too. It's
fundamental to good design practice that you never operate a component
right on or close to any of its maximum ratings, let alone way above
them. Especially if there's a safety aspect involved.




A mate of mine's got some kind of painful muscle spasms in his
shoulder. The specialist he saw the other day actually used a
professional TENS unit on him for a while, which seemed to help a bit.
When we tried the SC one, my mate said the effect was exactly the same
as with the professional unit.

I suppose it works ...


Bob

How do you go replacing the pads on them?

 

[Bob Parker]

How do you go replacing the pads on them?

I haven't got that far yet. The kit had a pair of pads with it,
which have short lengths of wire which terminate in small inline
sockets. DSE supply a length of thin figure-8 cable which you solder the
supplied small 'banana' plugs onto. They plug into the sockets for very
easy replacement.
DSE flog those pads as spare parts, but with luck I might find a
local chemist who's got them too.