Long-lasting pranks have a special place in the world of mischief: devices that can drive targets insane for months without being detected. The modern Annoyatron, marketed by AnnoyingPCB, is engineered to emit random sounds for up to three years on a single lithium battery. Updated from the original ThinkGeek Annoy-A-Tron popularized in the late 2000s, this version adds selectable sound modes and improved build quality.

What Is the Annoyatron?

The ThinkGeek Annoy-A-Tron first launched around 2008 and became a cult hit among prank enthusiasts. AnnoyingPCB revived the concept in early 2021, releasing the Annoyatron model with a three-year battery life and three selectable noises. Each unit measures roughly 1.5″ × 1.5″ × 0.3″ and weighs about 0.5 ounces, with materials including silicone, plastic, and metal components. Users can toggle between a standard beep, a high-pitched screech, or a cricket chirp using a gray button on top. Random intervals between 5 and 45 minutes ensure that no pattern emerges, making the device nearly impossible to locate.

Priced under $20, the Annoyatron is available directly from Annoyatron.us or via Amazon (ASIN: B08KG6XHN1). On Amazon, the Annoyatron listing boasts over 4,000 customer reviews averaging 4.4 out of 5 stars and holds the #26 rank in Gags & Practical Joke Toys, reflecting widespread enthusiasm from pranksters everywhere.

Key Features & Specs

Battery Life & Reliability

• Powered by a single 3 V lithium battery engineered to last up to three full years without replacement.
• Once activated, no further interaction is required—the device continues beeping randomly every 5 to 45 minutes until the battery dies.
  
  

Selectable Sound Modes

• Offers three sound settings accessed via a gray toggle button: a normal beep, a high-pitched screech, and a cricket chirp.
• Switching between modes is instantaneous; each sound is optimized to cut through background noise in homes, offices, and dorms alike.
  
  

Compact & Concealable

• Measures approximately 1.5″ × 1.5″ × 0.3″ and weighs under half an ounce, fitting easily behind desks, inside kitchen cupboards, or under a car dashboard.
• The housing is crafted from durable silicone and plastic, with a metal speaker grill and an included magnet plate for easy mounting on metal surfaces.
  
  

Construction & Materials

• Combines silicone, plastic, and metal to protect internal electronics while ensuring sound clarity.
• Units are assembled in the USA, with stringent quality control to prevent early switch failures and ensure consistent randomization.
  
  

Warranty & Support

• Comes with a 30-day satisfaction guarantee through Amazon’s return policy, plus direct aftermarket support via support@annoyatron.us.
  
  
• Replacement units or refunds are offered for early battery failures or manufacturing defects within the first month.
  
  

How It Works (Setup & Deployment Tips)

Unboxing & First Activation

1. Remove the Annoyatron from its anti-static packaging.
   
   
2. Slide the small black switch on the side to the “On” position; an initial beep confirms it’s armed.
   
   
3. Use the gray button on top to cycle through sound modes: press once for a beep, twice for a screech, and three times for a cricket chirp.
   
   

Selecting Your Noise

• Toggle the gray button until the desired sound plays; listen closely to hear if it’s a standard beep, a high-pitched screech, or a cricket chirp.
  
  
• Confirm randomization by timing two successive beeps; they should occur between 5 and 45 minutes apart.
  
  

Choosing Concealment Spots

• Office Deployment: Slip it under a desk, tape it behind a cubicle panel, or magnet-mount it under a metal filing cabinet—sound waves bounce off walls to confuse victims.
  
  
• Home Deployment: Place inside a kitchen cabinet near appliances to mask the noise as an errant microwave beep, tuck inside a tissue box for bedroom pranks, or secure behind a bookshelf.
  
  
• Outdoor/Shared Spaces: For truly devious setups, hide in a paper towel dispenser in a communal garage or behind a potted plant on a porch—random intervals make it nearly impossible to trace.
  
  

Psychology Behind Random Intervals

• Randomization prevents victims from detecting a pattern. Over weeks, they begin to question whether the source is truly spontaneous or if someone is intentionally messing with them.
  
  
• Pranksters often feign ignorance and “help search,” only to mislead victims with red herrings like pointing at harmless electronics or attributing the sounds to loose wiring.
  
  

Real-World Use Cases & Anecdotes

Office Pranks

• One prankster hid three Annoyatron units in different corners of their office; after six weeks of sporadic beeps, IT repeatedly checked smoke detectors, door chimes, and even the wireless router before finally admitting defeat.
  
  
• Another prankster placed a unit under a coworker’s standing desk; after two weeks of intermittent cricket chirps, the target declared a “cricket infestation,” prompting building maintenance to dispatch exterminators—who found nothing.
  
  

Dorm Room Shenanigans

• A college student hid an Annoyatron in a communal bathroom paper towel dispenser; roommates believed the noise was faulty plumbing before one brave soul cut open the wall to access old pipes.
  
  
• Another deployed a unit in a dorm vent; maintenance crews spent days tearing down ceiling tiles before discovering the culprit behind a high-pitched screech.
  
  

Family & Holiday Fun

• A user reported placing Annoyatron inside a sibling’s Christmas gift: the random beeps started on Christmas Eve and continued through New Year’s Day, creating a “haunting” experience that had the family tearing apart wrapping paper several times.
  
  
• Deploying inside a teenage nephew’s video game console led to months of confusion and frantic tech support calls until the prankster revealed the joke on Easter Sunday.
  
  

Long-Term Revenge Pranks

• One prankster left an Endurance Series Annoyatron unit inside an ex-partner’s empty apartment; the random cricket chirps continued quietly for over two years until the device finally died, cementing its status as “revenge of the century.”
  
  

Comparison with Competing Gag Gadgets

Standard One-Day Beepers (Generic Amazon Clones)

• Typically powered by small button-cell batteries that last 24–72 hours, with fixed intervals and a single beep sound.
  
  
• Many are sold cheaply but fail quickly, leaving pranksters disappointed when the device dies before the gag runs its course.
  
  

DIY “Arduino Beepers”

• Enthusiasts can program microcontrollers to emit random tones, but this requires electronics knowledge, soldering skills, and custom battery solutions.
  
  
• DIY models often lack weatherproofing, consistent randomization, and a professional finish, making them less reliable long-term.
  
  

Other ThinkGeek Legacy Devices & Clones

• ThinkGeek’s original Annoy-A-Tron 2.0 offered six sound options and volume control but was limited by a one-year battery life and imported parts quality issues.
  
  
• Off-market clones on eBay or AliExpress vary widely in quality; many users report flimsy switches and batteries that die within months.
  
  

Why Annoyatron Stands Out

• A guaranteed three-year battery life dwarfs the 24–72 hour lifespan of generic clones and the one-year life of legacy models.
  
  
• Three selectable sound modes versus single-beep clones give pranksters more creative control and confusion tactics.
  
  
• Assembled in the USA with rigorous quality control ensures consistent performance and fewer early switch failures.
  
  

Where & How to Buy

Official Store (Annoyatron.us)

• Visit Annoyatron.us for the full lineup, including single Endurance units, 3-packs of Cricket Classic, and 6-packs of Pro Edition.
  
  
• Secure checkout accepts major credit cards and PayPal; shipping is free and discreet, with an estimated 5–7 business day delivery in the U.S.
  
  
• Seasonal bundles and promo codes often appear around April Fool’s Day and Black Friday.
  
  

Amazon Listing (ASIN: B08KG6XHN1)

• Available on Amazon.com with Prime‐eligible shipping and Amazon’s 30-day return policy.
  
  
• Typical pricing: $18–$22 per single unit; $45–$50 for a 3-pack; $80–$90 for a 6-pack, depending on seller promotions.
  
  

Customer Reviews & Ratings

Aggregate Rating

• Over 4,000 customer reviews on Amazon average 4.4 out of 5 stars, placing Annoyatron at #26 in Gags & Practical Joke Toys.
  
  

Top-Rated Comments

• “Still chirping after 6 months—absolute chaos!” praised one user, emphasizing the durability and stealth of the device.
  
  
• “Bought 3 packs, hid them throughout our whole office; best April Fool’s ever,” shared another, praising how random intervals sowed confusion in coworkers.
  
  

Constructive Critiques

• A handful of reviewers mentioned early switch squeaking on initial batches; AnnoyingPCB has since updated the switch mechanism in its Endurance Series.
  
  
• Some users requested a “silent/mute” button to temporarily pause beeps—currently no silent mode is available on the base model.
  
  

Overall Consensus

• Exceptional reliability, budget-friendly pricing, and easy concealment make Annoyatron the go-to long-term prank device for under $20 per unit.
  
  

Final Thoughts & Prankster’s Checklist

Whether you’re a seasoned prank veteran or a first-time trickster, Annoyatron delivers unmatched annoying potential with almost no maintenance. Its three-year battery life, multiple sound modes, and compact design ensure you can stash it anywhere and resume your normal routine while victims chase phantom noises. Assembled in the USA and backed by positive customer feedback, this device is the ultimate long-haul prank gadget.

Prankster’s Checklist

1. Choose Your Sound Mode: Press the gray button until you hear a beep, screech, or cricket chirp.
   
   
2. Activate & Confirm: Slide the black switch on; listen for the confirmation beep.
   
   
3. Pick Concealment Spots: Under desks, inside cabinetry, behind appliances—anywhere out of sight but not too muted.
   
   
4. Record Initial Beep Time: Track the first beep to gauge interval patterns (5–45 minutes).
   
   
5. Feign Ignorance: Act helpful when others search; provide false leads like “Maybe it’s the smoke detector.”