Custom-Built Bear Blaster 5000 Looks to Be Straight from Halo, Designed to Keep Wild Animals Away

Let me tell you about the Bear Blaster 5000, a custom-built zapper that appears to be from the Halo universe, by Jay from the Plasma Channel. This thing is designed to keep bears away, not with pepper spray or loud noises, but with a whopping 280,000 volts of electricity. It’s not about hurting the bear, but rather giving it a big, loud scare with crackling sparks so it runs off.

Here’s the simple version of how it works: it starts with a battery that powers a little circuit. That circuit makes a small electric signal, kind of like a buzz, which gets cranked up by two voltage multipliers that supercharge it in opposite directions. This creates a huge electric “push” between two metal points, enough to make sparks leap across a four-inch space. Jay put all this tech inside a slick, 3D-printed case that shows off the parts doing the heavy lifting, making it look like something from the future. Pretty wild, right?

Some folks, like lifelong hikers, caution against relying on it in a real bear encounter. Black bears, common in places like the northeastern U.S., usually bolt at loud noises anyway, while an aggressive bear might not be fazed—or could even get angrier. So, while it’s a cool concept and a stellar example of high-voltage tinkering, you might still want to pack some bear spray as a backup.
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