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The original was posted on /r/tifu by /u/I_-AM-ARNAV on 2025-11-07 10:38:44+00:00.
So, I was just trying to “fix” my mosquito killer bat today. Nothing new. I’ve been tinkering with high-voltage, low voltage, literally any electronics stuff for about 10 years. Usually goes fine.
This time, the battery on the bat had gotten weak. It couldn’t kill mosquitoes properly anymore. I figured I’d upgrade it by replacing the old low-capacity lead-acid battery with a Li-ion cell + TP4056 charging module (basically a modern rechargeable setup).
Everything was going great. I opened the casing, removed the screws… and yeah, I was doing all this with the bat resting on my lap (rookie mistake #1).
Now, for context: Mosquito bats have a high-voltage capacitor that stores charge from a step-up circuit (the part that zaps the mosquito when it touches the grid). Even when the bat is “off,” that capacitor can still hold a deadly amount of charge. hundreds of volts!
To be safe (or so I thought), I decided to discharge it manually. I grabbed a metal screwdriver and touched the mesh. Except I didn’t actually hit the terminals. Instead, I accidentally shorted the high-voltage mesh (the positive/“live” layer) while the outer mesh (the grounded layer) was resting on my thigh.
Instantly. ZAP! A full jolt shot from my thigh up to my right middle finger. Not a tiny static shock — a real, sustained shock. Turns out, the power switch was stuck in the “on” position, so it kept discharging until I dropped the bat.
It was over in a second, but wow… that hurt. Lesson learned: Recheck things.
I’m fine now, and I kinda find this funny.
TL;DR:Was going to upgrade batteries on a mosquito bat, but fucked up while discharging the high voltage capacitor.