the "Ask DVS about Electrical Play" Thread

[Stella_Omega]

...I'm into electroplay. You could set up a PVC pipe with some exposed copper wire taped to the top of it. String a rope through the pipe to hold it up. OR, you could just tape some copper wire on a rope and it would do the same thing. Just make sure the two wires don't touch each other for the whole length.

You could even use the knotted rope, if you want. In that case, you could use wire with insulation on it, and just remove the insulation around the knots. Just make sure the wires don't touch each other anywhere the insulation is removed. Make the wires close enough together that your body could touch both wires, when you go over the knots. Basic #12 house wire, #14 or even #16, either solid core or stranded would work just fine.

You'd need a power source like a violet wand or a TENS unit to run some current through the copper wire. The simplest way would be to have two wires separated by a 1/2 inch or so at the top of the pipe or rope, and when your body touches both wires, you'd complete the circuit and get a shock. Make the height just high enough that you'd have to straddle it and walk on tip toes for the length of it. Your pussy and inner thighs would get a shock if you didn't keep on your tip toes. The longer you make it, the more difficult it would be to complete.

There are so many things that can be done very simply, if someone only has the equipment to do it. I understand if you don't have the violet wand or TENS unit, or are sure enough of yourself to make the contraption. As long as you used one of those devices for the current, you wouldn't have to worry about hurting yourself...just the shock it would give you between the legs. There's never enough people who like electroplay. I'm just trying to add members to the club.

Okay, so my first question is-- what's the best way to acquire a tens unit?

 

[ShineyShiney]

Is there a recommended safe amp/voltage? I am curious about this, but I don't know much about tinkering with electrical things. Kind of scary to make it go wrong.

 

[angie19]

Personal question

What do you enjoy the most about electro play?
How did you get into it? Why?


What sparks (PUN!) my attention is the little jumps one gives. Say you're in an uncomfortable position, with hmm nipple clamps attached. I would imagine you would like to see the girl (im guessing) jump and have the clamps pain her, the sight is somewhat exquisite in my mind.

 

[DeepGreenEyes]

I wanna know the origin story, sparky.

How'd you first get into this?

 

[ShineyShiney]

I am curious about how it would feel.

I would imagine there is a range of sensation from "That tingles a little" to "Oh god I think I smell hot-dogs"

 

[DVS]

Okay, so my first question is-- what's the best way to acquire a tens unit?

It all depends on what you are going to call a TENS unit. An actual TENS unit is used for healing and pain relief and they don't cost a whole lot. You can get a pretty nice one that's double pole (dual channel is the same thing) for around $50. If you want to spend a little more, you can get a very nice one, still less than $100. But the deal is, they aren't the pro strength that you see in some of the videos, like Kink.com. They are still good for the basics, though.

The pro units will cost a lot more, but they are more powerful, and they have more whistles and bells. The really pro ones have an input for audio, so you can control the output of the unit with your favorite music. Many of them also have a microphone input or a built in microphone so you can have your victim's screams control the output. Both of those are very nice features to have, but you'll pay for them.

Most dual channel units, even TENS units will have a modulation setting that is a sort of phasing between the two outputs. If you've been to a chiropractor, you may have experienced some of that. I've fallen asleep with a dual channel TENS attached to my back. The current seems to modulate like a cyclical wave around your back, and it's intoxicating. You could also use two toys such as an anal toy and a vagina toy to do the same thing with very nice results. Not all dual channel units are created equal, so you have to make sure there is not only two separate and isolated channels as well as a modulation setting to modulate the two channels together.

The modulation will also work with just one of the two channels, but it will just be like an up and down thing or intense to non intense and back again, etc. Still not too bad, but modulating the two channels is best.

You can also get dual channel toys or attachments. Dual channel anal probes or vagina probes will have four jacks in them, because a dual channel unit has two wires or leads per channel. Good stuff, Maynard!

A pro unit will cost you about $300 but like I said, the special features are nice and the output is potent. But, if you just want to play around with a TENS unit, a dual channel TENS will be just fine. Here's one company that actually shows you a video of each unit, explaining the basics. But keep in mind that they are selling them for the real reason TENS units are made...muscle stimulation. They won't talk about how well they work with a BDSM toy or anything. They have more than one product, so check them all out. I'll talk about the pads in a minute.

The pro units are very well explained at Huse and son are the guys I bought my violet wand from. Back then, it cost me about $400, but it's still going strong after about 12 years. They seem to explain things fairly well, pointing out the different features of their power units. Stay sitting down, because they are expensive.

JT's Stockroom is another good company. I've purchased things from them, too. Sometimes there's a difference in the leads that connect the power unit to the toy or attachment. It seems that most units have a 1/8th inch plug that is very similar if not the same as one for headphones, except it isn't stereo. Some are at right angles and some aren't. There's no difference, unless your unit has some kind of cover that keeps the controls from being hit or knocked when the unit is on. Some have a plastic cover that fits over this stuff, so those would probably need right angle jacks.

The jacks look like one wire at the unit in but once you get to the attachment end, the wires are split a bit so you can connect the different attachments or pads. Unfortunately, not all wire leads are the same, so if you have an assortment of different manufacturers, you might have to have more than one set of wires to connect them. Many attachments use what's called a banana plug. You can Google that name and you'll find what they look like. The pads come with a pin type of connection that most of the actual TENS units will probably come with. And then there are the quick connect pinch types that other manufactorers will use, and they work on another type of attachment. All of them work, but you might end up getting several leads, to make all of your attachments work. And JT's is one place that has adapters to convert your existing ends to the ends you might need for a toy to work.

I don't know anything about these units, but it's easy to find a bunch of units to pick and choose.

This is just one of the different educational sites for those who are just learning about electoplay. Just Google beginner's TENS or something like that and you'll find more.

Here's another beginner's site. They have their own basic connection system, which is the quick pinch system. I'm not sure if their units have been in Kink videos but I've seen these type of connections in their videos. That tells me they last or Kink wouldn't be using them. All attachments should work the same way, as long as you have the correct end on your wire leads. But with attachments to change the end, you shouldn't have too much trouble figuring things out. Cables aren't that expensive and so it's good to have a nice set of different types.

Here's another site that explains some of the basics of electroplay. You can never have too much information.

 

[DVS]

Is there a recommended safe amp/voltage? I am curious about this, but I don't know much about tinkering with electrical things. Kind of scary to make it go wrong.

99% of these things are DC current which is very safe. Only static electricity, which a violet wand uses is safer. But DC can produce a pretty strong jolt from a little nine volt battery so don't think just because it's a battery operated unit that it won't be strong. Have you ever touched the leads of a nine volt battery to your tongue? That should tell you something.

Yet another place to get power units and attachments. I haven't seen that many that specify the output of their device, but the pros always mention that they are more powerful than the basic TENS unit. I did see one that said it had an output about 1 milliamp output, which is fairly decent. I've made a toy that has that strong of an output and it's pretty nasty. Any unit that goes higher than that, you will need help to understand what to do with all of that power. There are various PDF files about many units. The more powerful it is, singe some hair. Don't get carried away.

Watch using a power unit around the heart. Some dual channel units are relatively safe around the heart, when used correctly. But, if you don't know what you're doing, I wouldn't suggest doing so, even if you do have a dual channel unit.

 

[thesweetsweetness]

I find this all so interesting.. *officially begins stalking this thread.*

 

[ShineyShiney]

Have you ever touched the leads of a nine volt battery to your tongue? That should tell you something.

I've never tried this. I am not sure I want to; I am a little scared to try.

What made me curious was Stella's original post, and your response was very informative. I am especially intrigued by the idea of audio input to affect power levels. Very cool and exciting implications

 

[DVS]

What do you enjoy the most about electro play?
How did you get into it? Why?


What sparks (PUN!) my attention is the little jumps one gives. Say you're in an uncomfortable position, with hmm nipple clamps attached. I would imagine you would like to see the girl (im guessing) jump and have the clamps pain her, the sight is somewhat exquisite in my mind.

I enjoy the phobia most people have about electricity. Granted, it can be intimidating but it's not that bad. Sometimes, the only way someone knows about electroplay is from a fake video on the Internet where a bound woman was flailing around and screaming at the top of her lungs. That's unlikely to be real. If it is, the woman could have brain damage after, or some kind of extended nerve damage.

I like that when used correctly, you can give someone a pretty nasty shock without leaving any marks. You hook someone up to a few interesting devices, and incorporate the right kind of conversation with minimal electrical zaps, you would be impressed with how someone would do what you want them to.

It's how you do everything. You don't do too much of one thing and not enough of anything. It all works together for the fun to be complete.

Electroplay is safe, when you know what you're doing. I've been to school to learn basic electricity as well analog and digital electronics. But, while that helped in my desires to continue with my electro fun, I first got into electronics by making an intercom system from an old 3 inch reel to reel tape recorder from Sears. I used it and a series of switches and wires to hook up speakers in each of the floors of my house growing up. I could be up in my room, on the top floor of the house and talk to people watching TV down in the finished basement. I also had the dining room of the house hooked up so I could listen in on conversations of anybody in that room. I told the family that I'd done it, but people tend to forget things like this and so I would sit up in my room and listen in on conversations. None of them were really worth listening to, but it was still fun.

On Halloween, a friend and I hooked up some speakers in the bushes of my house, when we were in high school. We scared the shit out of some kids because the speakers were pointed towards the front door, which means they had to pass them, walk up the steps to the door, and then the errie voices came from behind them. The kids loved it, but not as much as I did.

Starting in high school, I was the go to guy when any band I was in needed lights for the light show or a strobe light or black lights. That was back in the late 60s and early 70s, so the drug scene was still going strong. Bands were always trying to look like Pink Floyd, even if it meant some things failed miserably. And some did.

Also at an early age, I was into recording music. I got my first simple tape recorder for Christmas when I was about 15. That was the one we used to make the strange sounds that Halloween, as we as the one I made into an intercom, a few years later.

I got my first good reel to reel tape recorder just out of high school. It was a Teac 4 track and it was great. My only problem was everybody wanted their own track and there were five members in my band. I converted my back room into a studio with double insulation on the walls. After several years doing analog recording with me engineering the deal, I moved up to digital.

I have a couple different recording systems right now. One is my first one that still works and the other is a little larger in the hardware, but still software based in the recording end. They are both connected together digitally with S/PDIF cables. I have about 100+ tracks, but I can only record about 18 tracks at one time. That might sound like a lot, but when you use 8 to 10 mics on drums, that sucks up 10 tracks, right there. But, it saves hassles later on, when you need a particular drum in the kit to be louder.

I've always been able to solder connections, even before I went to electronics school. I can connect any type of cable, be it audio, network or coax. My little studio has over 300 wire connections in the back of the patch bay. That's a small task to keep them all working. corrosion can sometimes drive you crazy. Keeping the contacts clean is almost a full time job.

When I went back to school and learned electronics and computers, that really got my sexual life moving along, too. So, I've made my own electrical toys. Mostly I've just altered other things to work for what I want them to. I have several of those fly swatters that zap pretty hard. I took one, took the racket off of it and it is now a kind of cattle prod. I also took a dog training collar and a single pole anal plug and made a very nice 10 position anal zapper. If you've read my story, "My New Boss", that zapper has a primary staring role. The only difference between the two is the one in the story only has 3 settings. The real one has 10.

I also made something I call my punishment chair. I wanted to tell everybody how it works, so I wrote a story where it's the star. Lit didn't like it and rejected the story for being too non-consensual. So, I posted it in my Fetlife profile, writing section. It's there, in its complete form, if you want to read it.

Basically, I've been interested in electronics from a very early age. I didn't know what I really wanted to come from it, but I'm glad I was able to do it. My dad was the first to show me how to wire a house. I rewired my house all by myself back in 1981, when I moved in, so everything was up to current code.

Electricity almost came naturally for me. I know how electrical current flows and what will change it's path, once it's started. It's like it has a mind of its own, sometimes. But, if you know how that mind works, you can control it.

While I understand the phobias people have about electricity, that's just because they aren't familiar with it. I'd almost guess that we'd have more people messing with electroplay, if here was just some way to teach people so they do it correctly. But trying to show someone online, is next to impossible.

Yes I do enjoy watching my bound victim jerking and twitching from the electrical stimulation. With me, it's never a very strong charge, but you just press the button at the one time they don't expect it. And it's a sort jolt, but it affects someone mentally, because they know another one is coming, when I feel it's time. You might be surprised how much you can get someone to agree to, with little zaps, with almost a couple minutes absence in-between zaps. I don't know what it is...well, yes I do know.

 

[DVS]

I wanna know the origin story, sparky.

How'd you first get into this?

I've already answered this in detail. I could say it all started with matches when I got to take the trash out to the incinerator. Yes, that's true, but there was no electricity in that process. It was just something that I found interesting. And I had sisters so every so often there was a can of hair spray that would explode. Cool stuff.

Then, I'd find old plastic wrap and stuff like that and watch it melt, sending the flame down with the molten plastic, the flame making a strange and interesting sound as it went through the air. The Monkees started a song long ago with a word in it and someone used that word to explain the sound and process of burning plastic and watching that flaming drip. Ziltch. You take a piece of plastic, attach it up in the air so it will have a length of space from the ground. Be sure it's away from anything that will burn, like a tree limb. Fire burns upward, so think about that when you are connecting the plastic to something. Metal is always best.

Then, you light the plastic on fire and watch it when it starts melting and dripping to the ground. You'll hear the ziltch sound each time the burning molten plastic drips down. It's especially fun at night. Yes, fire is a bit like electricity in that it has a life of its own. But just like electricity, if you understand how it "lives", it's not difficult to control it.

 

[DVS]

I am curious about how it would feel.

I would imagine there is a range of sensation from "That tingles a little" to "Oh god I think I smell hot-dogs"

The smell of hot dogs is a bit much, but yes, the mild tingle is almost a tickle. The most extreme can be rather painful, too. But most of the time because there is no whip swinging, no paddle coming down and no other physical action before it happens, you just all of the sudden get zapped. It's a lot of fun to have someone in that position.

At the hardest, it feels like a lot of needles sticking in a very small area, or maybe bee stings that don't stop. But there are also ways to make electroplay to feel like such a wonderful soothing feeling, that it will put you to sleep.

 

[kiwi_submissive]

I prefer Electrical play to impact play. I love the whole never knowing when the next will be, where it will be or how high the shock will be or what sort of sensation that attachment will give where. It really starts to play with my head after a bit and after a really good session down there I find that I tingle for ages and can't close my legs as it's very sensitive.

My favourite (afterwards) one had to be an electrical pony, where I was tied in a cage so I could only raise myself up or down, trouble is once I lowered myself I would touch an electrical toy that would shock me enough to stand back up on tip toes again.

On the whole it's quite a difficult feeling to describe as it depends on what is used, where, the level and how. Sometimes it numbs, sometimes it tickles and others just downright hurt but in a good way

The downside for me though is I can drop quite hard afterwards and sometimes need a sleep to recover.

 

[DVS]

I prefer Electrical play to impact play. I love the whole never knowing when the next will be, where it will be or how high the shock will be or what sort of sensation that attachment will give where. It really starts to play with my head after a bit and after a really good session down there I find that I tingle for ages and can't close my legs as it's very sensitive.

My favourite (afterwards) one had to be an electrical pony, where I was tied in a cage so I could only raise myself up or down, trouble is once I lowered myself I would touch an electrical toy that would shock me enough to stand back up on tip toes again.

On the whole it's quite a difficult feeling to describe as it depends on what is used, where, the level and how. Sometimes it numbs, sometimes it tickles and others just downright hurt but in a good way

The downside for me though is I can drop quite hard afterwards and sometimes need a sleep to recover.

Yes, electricity can be dangerous and it can also be fun. Electroplay rarely uses strong enough current or the more dangerous AC current. Some AC might be present in some toys, but at a much lesser level than normal house current.

Like you said, it's not an impact toy, so you have no idea when to expect it. It's almost like you are blindfolded. You can even see something that is electrically charged and it won't look any different than something that isn't. But when you touch it, you'll find out. This is a lot of the fun of electricity. Of course, you do need a certain amount of creativity to make it all fun. Just flipping a switch is easy. It's using your devious mind and intimidating communication along with it, that makes it all work and fun.

 

[angie19]

Last year in school

We were all in the lab and as we were going each class through the senses, somehow we ended up in a class about using electricity. I study psychology so electro-shock maybe? I have no recall of why but I digress.

My point is the teacher (doctor) made us go up in partners, and shock ourselves. That fucker, bet he was having a blast. The dynamic was:

1. press a cable ending knob (roughest details in memory) to the persons wrist.
2. Press the same thing on the arm i think..
3. start slow and turn it up slowly until they said no more.
4. turn it off immediately when they said no more. Of course some couple of best friends decided to make them suffer a bit longer but ahem..

I saw many cringe as their hand slowly contorted into a fist and they couldn't move their fingers. I could only imagine the feeling, as I have been very lightly stuck to a badly wired outlet one time, i pulled my hand immediately. My best friend wanted to try it so I did it on her but I wouldn't let it be done to myself.

I was the only one in class not to go through with it only one. (of 30 people I believe) That's how much of a wuss I am ^^

Of course there's a difference between a steady current and a zap (I imagine). Hence I'm more interested in a light zap from a trusted source than a steady current. I don't much look forward to contorting, just jumping.

 

[DVS]

There's also a difference in steady currents, too. Sure the zap is quick and while it might catch you off guard, it's instantaneous and brief. A zap can be a higher voltage than a current, sometimes, because it's short and quick.

But, like I said, there are different currents, too. A TENS unit can produce a current that might not be too difficult for someone to handle, and it could also produce a small one that is pleasurable. But, like you said, a badly wired outlet is AC current. House current is very nasty and can kill you. If you happen to grab hold of something that is charged with AC house current, your muscles will contract and you won't be able to let go of it. This is how house current kills people.

The high power lines that are strung high above us on high poles, are actually a little safer than normal house current. High power lines can seriously damage whatever you touch them with. It can burn your arm off or damage it seriously enough that it won't ever work again. But, high power lines will blow you away from the current, and so you have a chance to survive. You might lose an arm or hand, but you're still alive. House current is just enough current to make your muscles contract, so it's more deadly than the higher power lines. Nasty stuff, that house current. NEVER play with that. NEVER!

 

[kellyz_craic]

quietly clicks subscribe

 

[njlauren]

There's also a difference in steady currents, too. Sure the zap is quick and while it might catch you off guard, it's instantaneous and brief. A zap can be a higher voltage than a current, sometimes, because it's short and quick.

But, like I said, there are different currents, too. A TENS unit can produce a current that might not be too difficult for someone to handle, and it could also produce a small one that is pleasurable. But, like you said, a badly wired outlet is AC current. House current is very nasty and can kill you. If you happen to grab hold of something that is charged with AC house current, your muscles will contract and you won't be able to let go of it. This is how house current kills people.

The high power lines that are strung high above us on high poles, are actually a little safer than normal house current. High power lines can seriously damage whatever you touch them with. It can burn your arm off or damage it seriously enough that it won't ever work again. But, high power lines will blow you away from the current, and so you have a chance to survive. You might lose an arm or hand, but you're still alive. House current is just enough current to make your muscles contract, so it's more deadly than the higher power lines. Nasty stuff, that house current. NEVER play with that. NEVER!

AC house current does not cause you to hold on, because the current always reverses through zero voltage 60 times a second, you can pull your hand away. Almost everyone has taken a 110 vac shock and they generally jump away.

Straight DC causes you to contract your muscles and you can't let go, if you touch the third rail of a subway when grounded you would be unable to pull away because the voltage is constant (A/C is a sine wave, kind of looks like n S on its side, and the current reverses direction through zero volts, DC does not; pulsed dc, like in a tens unit, allows you to pull off as well).

The real danger with even relatively low voltages isn't so much the shock, it is if a stray voltage gets through the chest it can interrupt the functioning of the heart. While there are safe ways to play with electrical stimulation high up on the body,conventional wisdom is if you don't know, keep it at the waist or below, that is going to be safe unless you are stupid (I have heard of people using toy train transformers, not a great idea, some of them put out 18, 20 amps at 18vac, can give you a nasty shock and the DC toy transformers can do so as well, they can pass 5, 6 amps of current under load).

On the other hand, it is a lot of fun as well. The erostek and the like, designed for BD/SM play, do a lot more, but these days you can get TENS units from Amazon or off e-bay for not a lot. They used to be relatively hard to get, I paid a lot for what is a basic unit. Purple wands are a hoot, and they won't cause damage unless you are dumb enough to use them in the eye, or touch the hot end if you use them for too long....

 

[Sweetdaisymae]

Just wanted to give this a bump and ask if the electronic muscle excercisers would be suitable base units, I believe they work in a similar way to TENS.

 

[missgiter]

I've never tried this. I am not sure I want to; I am a little scared to try.

Really? I'd done this several times before I was into -kink- Quite amusing. You should definitely put this on your to-do list. I was tricked the first time, I was given one and asked to -test- it to see if it still worked. I asked how, and was told - Oh, just put it on your tongue and if it tickles, it's still good. It did a bit more than tickle, but it was all in good fun .

 

[Stella_Omega]

Just wanted to give this a bump and ask if the electronic muscle excercisers would be suitable base units, I believe they work in a similar way to TENS.

You know, what, I tried one Weds night. No dice. Although I could feel the muscles contract when I put the pads on my thighs for instance-- I could not get a single tingle on my genitals. There's no muscles to contract in your clitoris?


So far, I'm 0 for 5.

 

[missgiter]

So far, I'm 0 for 5.

Bummer

 

[Stella_Omega]

Bummer

It's the funniest thing! even-- once, a friend had his whole, very pricey setup, and I asked him to use it on me. We got this big cold metal thing in my pussy, hooked up wires here and there, shoved a probe up mybutt and I'm getting more and more excited. The he said "Tell me when you feel this," and started turning the dial.... and turning it...

and the damn batteries were dead.

 

[Sweetdaisymae]

You know, what, I tried one Weds night. No dice. Although I could feel the muscles contract when I put the pads on my thighs for instance-- I could not get a single tingle on my genitals. There's no muscles to contract in your clitoris?


So far, I'm 0 for 5.

Bummer, I was digging my old one out with renewed interest.
I was hoping to get some kind if tingle out of it

 

[missgiter]

It's the funniest thing! even-- once, a friend had his whole, very pricey setup, and I asked him to use it on me. We got this big cold metal thing in my pussy, hooked up wires here and there, shoved a probe up mybutt and I'm getting more and more excited. The he said "Tell me when you feel this," and started turning the dial.... and turning it...

and the damn batteries were dead.

Electricity and you seem to can't get together... time to re-schedule your appointment.