2 Lithium batteries would be safer, cheaper, less work,
last longer and much more reliable.

Just a moronic idea

"JeffM" wrote in message
oups.com...
I...built a charge pump like this, viewed in a
fixed font:

0.047 uF @400 V
|| |
-----------||---------------------|------------
|| | | |
| | 3V
120 VAC --- --- to
clock
^ _
0.047 uF @400 V | |
|| | |
-----------||-----------------------------------
||

Nick (nicksanspam @ ece.villanova.edu)

Caps do have a failure mode,
so a series safety R is normally included with these
type circuits.
NT (meow2222 @ care2.com)

It should be noted that such *series capacitor*
devices
were outlawed for commercial products long ago in
Europe.
As the Big Cat notes, without a resistor to limit
things,
failures are usually dramatic.