# Tasers **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [May 17, 2009, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tasers/496745 "2009-05-17T14:07:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![S\_Bild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c2a13f/32.png) [@S\_Bild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/S_Bild)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2009, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tasers/496745/1 "2009-05-17T14:07:52Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2009, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tasers/496745/2 "2009-05-17T15:24:32Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2009, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tasers/496745/3 "2009-05-17T15:41:47Z")
[Link to the article in question](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2865/how-dangerous-are-tasers) He also left out the details about pulse width and duty cycle. See [here](http://www.taser.com/research/Science/Pages/CardiacSafety.aspx) for more complete information. > [@](#): > > The TASER X26 ECD is a battery- (lithium camera-type) operated, pistol-shaped device that shoots two tethered darts and delivers 19 short pulses per second with a typical peak voltage of 1300 V (1000-1500 V) for a five-second burst. The device also generates an open-circuit voltage of up to 50,000 V to arc across thick clothing but that voltage is never seen in the body. Briefly, the pulse generated is a specially designed short pulse with a pulse duration of about 100 ms to efficiently capture alpha motor neurons while having minimal cardiac effects. ---
**Author:** ![namandixit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/35a633/32.png) [@namandixit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/namandixit)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2013, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tasers/496745/4 "2013-01-20T22:26:20Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![Michael63129](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@Michael63129](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael63129)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2013, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tasers/496745/5 "2013-01-20T23:13:36Z")
[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](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Static_electricity#Energies_involved) (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.