I encourage you to educate yourself before making a final choice.
"One choice only, we call this "an obligation".
"Two choices is a "dilemma"
"Choice starts with number 3.
Good choice!

To make a good choice, you should know
1_ YOUR NEEDS…
2_ AND YOUR BUDGET.

As stated by Dr Clark on her book “ The Cure For All Diseases ”, pp 15 & 16,
“Any positively offset frequency kills all bacteria, viruses and parasites simultaneously (meaning without any discrimination), given sufficient voltage (5 to 10V), duration (seven minutes) and frequency (anything from 10 Hz to 500,000Hz)”

“Zapping does not kill shielded organisms, such as those that may be in the middle of your stomach or intestines. The electricity travels along the stomach or intestine wall, not through their contents”.

The “ Hulda Clark zapper” is a very simple device, and applications seems endless, when you start experimenting.
Technically speaking, it is quite easily for almost anyone, to make a working zapper. And most of them will work, for at least some time…
And none will work as a panacea, as many will try to convince you.

You can buy a well done zapper, meeting all Dr Clark’s criteria for $10.00 out there (Honest, free publicity). Why pay more? Well, an On-Off switch will not hurt, a nice case and a couple of frequencies will not hurt neither, and …

Where should we stop, on our request?

Back to basics.
= What are your real needs?
= What kind of comfort meets your lifestyle?
= How much your budget can buy?
= And frequency… Haaahh!! Frequency! Which one is THE good frequency?
= Why everyone out there swears only by “its” frequency, and why their frequencies are all different?

How many questions for a so “simple device”!

1_ QUALITY OF THE MATERIAL AND WORKMANSHIP : If you had to put your very and only life in one device you don’t know well, will you trust Mr JoBlow assembling the device in a corner of a kitchen table, will you trust your brother-in-law’s friend studying electronic, or an experienced professional, with 25 years of experience, using proven technology? Easy to answer…
Unless…. You are looking for the cheapest way to die (:-) (Not always so cheap, trust-me!)

2_ WARRANTY : No one will give you any serious warranty of the effectiveness of a zapper.
IT IS AGAINST THE LAW. Only Medical Doctors can , by law, diagnostic, cure or treat illness. We, zapper users, can only experiment on ourselves. Period.

The only warranty a zapper’s manufacturer can give you are :
= The compliance with their technical specs, when any (See point_8_)
= A warranty against possible manufacturing flaws. A good standard is 1 year. (In electronic, without moving parts, if “it” works well for 3 months, chances are good it will work for a long, long time).
= If you deal with a nice guy, you will have too a “satisfaction warrantee” where you will be able to say, when unpacking your zapper : “Sorry, I did a mistake. This is not what I was expecting. Please, take-it back” .
There isn’t any legal obligation. Only nice people.

3_ There is a lot of TRADEOFFS between technical solutions and cost. Some are better than others.

= The best cheap, reusable, efficient electrodes for a zapper are copper tubes around 0.87” Dia, 4 to 6” long, with cheap, wet white towel paper. In second close place, feet copper plates could be even better, specially in conjunction with handhold, but they are more expensive.

= ECG electrodes and TENS electrodes could be good if they have a low resistance, lower than 100_Ohms. They are then good if you follow instructions, and use your zapper once in a wile, but not as “practical” as copper tubes or foot plates, if you zap every day, or 3 times per day.

= Stay away of hand free wrist straps. Their electrical efficiency are around 25% of a copper tube, sometimes they seriously “tickles”. Their only advantage is an illusory convenience. A good way to become unhappy…

= Connections around electrodes are a weak point on many zappers. Expect to repair yourself this part of your zapper.

= Some zappers have uncommon output connectors and you will have to rely on original stuff ($!$!).

= Banana connectors are very common and easy to repair. They are my first choice, with soldered wire on the copper handle, for a long lasting good connection.

= Stiff wires are annoying. Flexible (Test lead wire) cables are much better.

= Alligator clips are versatile. You can hold almost any electrode with them, even improvised ones, as electrical wire or a metal spoon, but on nice and smooth copper tubes, they are slippery and you should check them time to time.

= ON_Led indicator count for a good part of current consumption. They can hang on input (battery side) and give you an indication that switch is ON, or they can be on output side, giving you an indication that output should be working. These Led will dim as battery wears. Some zappers have a more complex circuit, shutting down the LED or warning you when battery reach a minimum level, telling you "it’s time to change battery!".

= Output current LED indicator : Some zappers have a special circuit detecting a minimum current flowing through output terminals. This should tell you that the output is not “open”, than the output is well connected (to you, we hope) This indicator is rare, and give you a minimal and useful information on the output connections.

= Protection against battery reversal will cost you 0.65V on the output, but is a good peace of mind to avoid costly reparations.

4_ MOST ZAPPERS USE A 555 oscillator. An excellent choice. Cheap, simple, robust, reliable, just right for a zapper. Other integrated circuits could be good too.
= Zapers with 2 or 3 frequencies : A good portion of zappers offer you 2 or 3 different frequencies. It is easy, with a 555, to make 1 to 3 frequencies. More becomes cumbersome.
= Avoid zappers built around CMOS 4xxx series: Their output deliver low current, and circuits are as expensive as 555 ones.

5_ THE USE OF A PROGRAMMABLE MICRO-CONTROLLER is quite rare and expensive, and offers many user-friendly functions, permitting complex frequencies, variable duty cycle and programmed sessions. This is a complex solution, out of reach of most electronic hobbyist. You will see more of these zappers, as competition arises and prices get down. Very good for zapper’s future

6_ Common 9V battery : All pocket size zappers come with this anemic, but cheap and practical battery. Its voltage drops quickly from 9.5V to 8.0V or 7.5V, stays there for a wile, then drops again quickly to 5.5V and less.
Efficiency of your zapper follows closely battery’s voltage.
We think a low (still good) voltage, if it is reliable (always the same) is a good asset for general zapping. We can count on similar results, time after time.
That’s why we consider a 5V regulator as a good feature.

= Ideally, a steady (regulated) voltage around 10V will give a powerful zapping, without being disturbing (itching). But having this from a 9V battery needs the use of a booster-regulator, a complication out of the reach of many manufacturers (and this very safe solution adds cost to the zapper too). To consider if you are planning to do plate zapping on a regular basis.

= Going further than 12V on voltage supply looks very good on publicity but these zappers pass most of their time in the corner of a drawer, because they are unpleasant to use and remind the old (and new) use of electroshock “therapy”.

= Some manufacturers prefer to have a power supply connected to the line (110V/220V). Most of the time, they will use approved (UL, CSA, ACNOR) transformers (approved for what?) and “forget” to approve the whole assembly (a costly and cumbersome process), putting them out-of-the-Law. Stay away of this “too easy” solution, This is the proof, many times, of an “apprentice sorcerer”, not knowing what he is doing with zappers.

POWER SUPPLY FROM A SAFE BATTERY IS THE ONLY WAY TO GO WITH ZAPPERS.
Period.

7_ Internal output impedance : This is an important safety point everyone should consider.
The output of a zapper using a 555 can easily deliver 100mA.
We need only 0.05 to 0,15mA at destination, for the “H.Clark zapper effect” to act.

I feel Dr Clark knows electronic quite well. That’s why she inserted an output impedance of 1000_Ohms in series with the output on her original zapper. This protects the zapper AND the user to a safe level of zapping current.
Based on the principle that “BIGGER IS BETTER”, many manufacturers short circuit this impedance with a capacitor, permitting the current variations (Frequency) to circumvent this impedance, lowering its “alternative value” to almost 0, and pushing currents to BIGGER IS BETTER levels. Usually, these zappers gives a strong feeling, with no proof of a better efficiency.
Result : The output has a "Constant Wave", doesn’t distort, they use a “stabilized wave technology”, and other terminology trying to prove this “bigger is better”. A little bit of "this" is not bad. Too much is ... TOO MUCH!

We believe that just right and no more is enough.
What are your beliefs, in this matter?

8_ I’m used to an industrial behavior where a device clearly states its technical specifications, and where numbers and not “beautiful adjectives” and where unproved statements are bad practice. You can then compare apples with apples and make a better choice suiting your needs.

On zapper’s field, almost everyone is describing its device with outrageous adjectives and very few will give you any number. Ho, yea! Frequency is a number…
I hope this will change by the request of more and more educated buyers.

9_ Frequency choice is a so hot debate, that putting it here will ignite an emotional firework. Not now...

Wish List for a zapper, well under $75.00
Power supply :
= Protection against battery reversal.
= On-Off switch
= For a general use :
= No regulator, OK
= 5V regulator, better
= Sequence 7-20 OK;
= Continuous zapping OK too (different approach)
= For an advanced use (Plate zapping, Homeography, strong zapping) you will need a power supply delivering at least 9V, or a constant current source.
10V to 12V Booster-regulator is an excellent solution. A good alternative will be the use of 6 CC or DD batteries in series, if planing plate zapping for extensive periods of time.
AVOID WALL PLUG SUPPLY!

Electronic circuitry :
= Low power CMOS makes good use of battery energy
= Powered by a 555 oscillator (CMOS 555: low power consumption version)
(At this price range, micro controllers are not yet common)
= If only one frequency : 10kHz to 50kHz (around 30kHz) best. (Many prefer 2.5kHz)
If 2 frequencies : 30kHz and 2.5kHz or 30kHz and 1kHz
If 3 frequencies : 30kHz, 2,5kHz, 1kHz
(Sweep frequency will become popular, some day)
= Output LED to check well connected output.
= ON Led.
= 800 to 1000_Ohms output impedance (without “constant wave” or alike)
= A way to reduce power output will be a nice feature for sensible skins, unless you already use 5V regulator.
= A picture of the zapper’s inside will permit you to check if circuitry is made by a professional or by “JoBlow1”, afraid to show its poor workmanship, or afraid to be copied by “JoBlow2”
= Printed Circuit Board, double sided, with component/solder mask is an “industrial standard”.
Wired-by-hand connections is to avoid on a commercial zapper.
= If manufacturer uses conventional components, that’s OK. It can be a good asset if you are planning to experiment with the circuits (want to change frequency, or other parameters, if you know what you are doing, because warranty will not apply any more).
= If manufacturer uses Surface Mount Devices, chances are he has access to mass production and good quality standards. Hard to modify or change components without the right tools.

Output :
= “Banana kind” connectors are very good choice for zappers. Alligator clips are good choices, if pressure of clips is strong.
= Flexible Test Lead Wire are very good choice.
= Cable soldered to copper handhold is very good.
= At least 2 copper handholds 7/8” Dia and 4 to 6” long.

Some “out of the road” examples with something unique, to check as references :

= “10dolarzapper” quoted as “World's Smallest Hulda Clark Zapper” on eBay is a well made zapper following by the book H. Clark specifications. A good bare bones zapper with no extras, for entry-level newcomers, or as a backup zapper. Will not stay for very long at this low price! 30kHz recommended over its 15Hz brother. At this price, comes without copper paddles.

= “MZ5” or “DS5” from Maestro-Zapper, are quoted as “The smallest, lower priced micro-controller driven zappers in the world” At $28, with 2 automatic sequences, they have no competition, yet. For entry-level newcomers, or as a backup zapper. At this price, comes without copper paddles.

= “M.Zap4R” from Maestro-Zapper is a conventional zapper with 2 adjustable frequencies and a 11V constant voltage zapper. Good to compare with many other costing 2.5 times more.

= ParaZapper CCa is actually the only zapper using a constant current output, as described in their specs, to my acknowledge. Should have competition soon or later, because this feature have many advantages over constant voltage or any “constant wave” zapper.

This long description will certainly have many comments, and you can disagree on many points, but at the end, I hope everyone will have a better understanding of the good and not-so-good features of a zapper, and better understand its own needs and how to fulfill them.

Good choice! Be zappy!