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Mosquito Magnet power adapter

richardm

Philosopher
richardm
Joined
Aug 6, 2001
Messages
9,248
I have a UK version of a Mosquito Magnet that has a rechargeable battery in it.Trouble is, I've lost (i.e. it has been thrown out in the Great Clear Out) the power adapter that came with it, and I'm having trouble getting in contact with anyone who can supply me with a replacement. I can find them for US versions, but they're the wrong input voltage. While I'm waiting for phones to be answered and emails to be responded to, I've been looking around for a third-party replacement.

According to the back of the machine, it requires 8v and 0.6A to recharge the battery. This seems to be a pretty uncommon power rating, and I can't find an adapter that produces exactly that.

However, I have found things like this , which according to the FAQs seems like it might do the job. Anyone know whether it should be okay or not?
 
I didn't even know posquitos were magnetic in the first place..

My understanding is that a power supply that can give you 8 V and at least 0.6 A is what you want. That should widen your search criteria a little. The 0.6 A is probably the maximum current the battery will draw from the power supply. If it delivers 8 V and has the potential to deliver 1 A, the battery will still only use 0.6 A. Probably slightly less.

ETA: I didn't even know mosquitos were magnetic... :)
 
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Forget the battery link. I want a link to a "Mosquito Magnet" and I am, admittedly to damn lazy to google it.
 
Ririon said:
My understanding is that a power supply that can give you 8 V and at least 0.6 A is what you want. That should widen your search criteria a little. The 0.6 A is probably the maximum current the battery will draw from the power supply. If it delivers 8 V and has the potential to deliver 1 A, the battery will still only use 0.6 A. Probably slightly less.
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That's what I was hoping - thank you!

ETA: I didn't even know mosquitos were magnetic... :)
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Well, they suck blood which contains iron, see?

SezMe said:
Forget the battery link. I want a link to a "Mosquito Magnet" and I am, admittedly to damn lazy to google it.
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I can relate to idleness. This is the sort of thing. [url=http://www.mosquitomagnet.com/] (their main site)[/URL]

They do actually work.
 
Ririon said:
I didn't even know posquitos were magnetic in the first place..
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They're not. The device works by electrostatic attraction, not magnetic, between posquitoes and captive negasquitoes.

BTW, a little over-voltage probably won't hurt. I wouldn't go over 9 volts but that would most likely be safe. 8 is a weird voltage; I suspect the battery's actual voltage is 7.5 or 7.2. To be safest, monitor the battery's temperature while charging. If it gets warm, that's normal, but if it gets too hot cut the power.
 
Meffy said:
it gets too hot cut the power.
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I would have done, but I couldn't reach the socket :mad:

house-fire1m.jpg
 
Yay! Hope the device works as well as the fix. Ah hates me some skeeters, ain't no lie.
 
Cunning....

It appears to use the fact, that Mosquitoes use as their primary target tracking method, Exhaled CO2 concentration gradients.
So Most mosquitoes would follow the artificialy produced CO2 gradient to the machine, then get lured into the catchment net by the artificial animal smell provided by the Octanol.
 
Oldpossum said:
lured into the catchment net by the artificial animal smell provided by the Octanol.
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In fact it's even more cunning than that. It uses a fan to create a light suction which drags them up into the net and keep them there, once they sniff their way close enough along the CO2 plume. It needs a battery to get started (hence the charger), then after that it uses some sort of rather clever device to generate its own electricity from propane. I have no idea how that bit works, but work it does.
 
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