Question: I checked my AutoZap 5 output with a multimeter, and it is not 10 volts. Is my zapper defective?
Answer: You must use an oscilloscope to observe the peak-to-peak voltage values on your AutoZap 5 Zapper.
Multimeters assume that you are measuring sine waves, instead of the square and PWM waves used by the zapper. An oscilloscope shows the AutoZap 5 generating approximately 10.6V peak-to-peak in all modes, although a multimeter will show approximately half of that for the “Classic Cycle” as it is a stable 50% duty cycle square wave. A multimeter will be similarly confused by the 5-minute “Red” cycle which uses complex pulse-width modulation. For the 5-minute cycle, a multimeter will show 1.4V.
After manufacture, all products undergo multiple checks with an oscilloscope to ensure correct specifications. For more answers to your technical questions, check out our main FAQ page at www.BestZapper.com/faq or even stay right here and search under Technical Details.
We hope this helps.
The Best Zapper team
