EEVblog #191 - Mouse Trap Triggering

What's the easiest way to electronically trigger a mouse trap? Dave has an idea...
Just don't ask why, OK, Dave doesn't know either...

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• mouse
• trap
• trigger
• resistor
• power
• rating
• derating
• datasheet
• tutorial
• specs
• specification

[alfonsoskid]

you toasted that poor innocent 10ohm resistor :(

[EEVblog]

@alfonsoskid It was begging for it!

[axel1973w]

Id say this is way too dangerous and not lasting long. also you will not get a predictible timer where this thing will snap on "power on". something could catch fire and the resistor wont last that long. id rather go with some small solanoid that just holds the holding lever. requires NO POWER while armed and idle. and on trigger moment it just snaps within a predictable time span which would be important to get the mouse/rat while on/in the trap and not gone off again. so this is no solution

[EEVblog]

@axel1973w You missed the point entirely. It's got nothing to do with the actual mouse trap, it's just another possible method to one-off trigger whatever widget that it might be suitable for.

The resistor doesn't need power either until triggered.

I've actually seen it used in two different scenarios, both military.

[taz069]

Holy crap, is that a mousetrap or a cat trap??

[Zed1967]

What size resistor should I use to not only trigger the trap but cook the dead rat to medium/well done? :)

[managarm1349]

very cool bonus footage

[javedkhan0258]

consumers dont know about resistor. to load again u need one more resistor! bad design lol

[THEmilehighclubber]

Killing vermin, like a boss.

Nice one Dave :)

[kiyotewolf]

Now you need to teach us the proper knots to use on fishing line.

[kiyotewolf]

This is brilliant Dave, absolutely brilliant.

[kiyotewolf]

What about wiring a solenoid using dual coils, one that has a constant field, one that has a variable field, you can control the directional torque, in a linear direction, like a monorail.

[douglas787]

What I like about this video, is that is shows a simple, cheap way to trigger a spring or cut a holding string. Sure, there are solenoid units that will do the job, but they weigh more, cost more, and have moving parts and there are more things that can go wrong. This method is cheap, simple, low cost, low weight and reliable if the resistor is only used once. Great video and genius idea.

[Shoetiefly]

I often sail solo at night with the boat's tiller held with control lines. If I fell off the boat, the boat would keep going. I have been considering various inexpensive one-off MOB (man overboard) devices to release the tiller if I fell off and a sensor contacted water and triggered the release automatically. I think this resistor burn has potential for this application. A second question for the experts is how to signal the boat while in the water. A small radio ?

[myozone]

This how they deploy antennas on software satellites !

[sfbox]

why not then rather take a nichrome wire....