I want to take exception to the contention that tasers are low current. The electrical impedance of subcutaneous needle electrodes used in monitoring the nervous system during surgery range from 1-3 K Ohms. I would expect this to be comparable to a well placed taser dart. If the taser delivers 50 K Volts, that would make the current somewhere between 16 and 50 amps. Currents of 5-30 milliamps are tolerable only when delivered cutaneously for only a few milliseconds. Low is obviously a relative term but in this context tasers do not deliver low current.
Not even close. TASERs have a high impedance; although the open circuit voltage can be more than 50 kV, this voltage drops off rapidly as load (i.e., you) resistance falls. Essentially the TASER is a current source, not a voltage source.
Link to the article in question
He also left out the details about pulse width and duty cycle. See here for more complete information.
On a different note, I was thinking of making a small stun gun as a DIY (using camera circuit, duh). What I didn’t found was what is the voltage and amperage output of the capacitor that powers the xenon-flash bulb. Also, whether the voltage will be enough to have an effect midway between tingling and incapacitation?
[Moderator Note: Quote of previous post deleted]
Note that this thread is several years old (2009).
Anyway, as for a camera flash circuit, the voltage is typically around 300 volts (check the voltage rating of the capacitor, which is a bit higher) and short-circuit current can be in the kiloamp range due to the low ESR of the capacitor, typically a fraction of an ohm (use a voltmeter to measure if in doubt).
As far as effects, DON’T use the original capacitor if you are planning on using it on anybody, especially if just for fun - the capacitor has the same capacitance and voltage range as those found in off-line power supplies and can store joules of energy; e.g. I know I have one that is 280 uF at 350 volts, which can store up to 17 joules of energy, which is a dangerous level according to Wikipedia (5 joules or more; of course, lower voltages won’t shock but still present a spark hazard if shorted, especially if unexpectedly; note also that static electricity discharges can be as high as 500 millijoules).
Conversely, if it were much smaller and lighter, the capacitor formed by a CRT would be a great capacitor for a stun gun, typically around 100-1000 pF at 25 kV (about 30-300 millijoules) - from personal experience that gives a nasty bite but isn’t otherwise dangerous, excepting what happens if you are holding the CRT at the time (still a bit too much if you just want to prank somebody). That said, the ~300 volt output of a camera flash unit isn’t enough to create a spark when touched (yes, again from personal experience), so to really get the effects, the electrodes need to be pressed into the skin, as opposed to light contact or arcing.