More great advice. The key to all of this is to have good connections and keeping the wires clear of vegetation. You don't want excessive voltage drops. On my small 3 acre pasture (picture above), I run a continuous aluminum wire spliced with fencing wire connectors. Tension it up with a drum tensioner and I'm good to go. Insulated wire running under the gates completes the circuit. There is no truly right way, but several that will work fine.
Solar Electric Fencer
- Thread starter WFM
- Start date
For our cows, and pigs, we run a solar fence. A good deep cycle battery is required, we also keep a second battery on a smart charger because if you get clouds for too many days we swap the batteries to make sure they have enough juice. We are running 2 strands connected by a jumper for the pigs, with most of the fencing on temporary style post and isolators so as they grow we can slide the wires up. The sheep we use the large portable poultry netting and move them around all summer. hopefully we can get the permanent fencing done this summer for them. Then we have 1 of the larger pastures thats a single strand plugged into a 110v fencer. The biggest problem always seems to be the charge controllers. if you can, build something weatherproof to put them in.
I finally got my charger and fencing hooked up.
The parmak 12 magnum says it puts out 11,000 volts.
I also bought a fence tester.
It shows 6,800 volts.
I emailed the company with prior questions and the guy responded quickly. Today I emailed him about the volts not being close to 11,000
Is it the fencer or something I've done wrong but haven't heard back from him yet.
The parmak 12 magnum says it puts out 11,000 volts.
I also bought a fence tester.
It shows 6,800 volts.
I emailed the company with prior questions and the guy responded quickly. Today I emailed him about the volts not being close to 11,000
Is it the fencer or something I've done wrong but haven't heard back from him yet.
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Elliott in GA
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I have never tested the voltage on my Parmak units.
A few questions: (1) Did you charge the battery via the sun for the recommended period of time prior to hooking the fence up?, (2) How are you testing the voltage - what kind of meter?, (3) Where are you testing the voltage - I would think between the lugs at the unit would be the best place and (4) Are you sure your ground is good?
A few questions: (1) Did you charge the battery via the sun for the recommended period of time prior to hooking the fence up?, (2) How are you testing the voltage - what kind of meter?, (3) Where are you testing the voltage - I would think between the lugs at the unit would be the best place and (4) Are you sure your ground is good?
I spoke the the fencer company again. The service manager I think. He wasn't thrilled I was questioning the strength of the fencer when my tester only shows half strength.
He basically said my $140. Tester was junk. You need a tester that has a ground probe to get a accurate measurement.
A man of very few words..yes.. no..OK
Was the answers.
The strength when it leaves the factory is 'close' to the spec voltage listed.
But I'll try a ground probe tester and see what that reads.
He basically said my $140. Tester was junk. You need a tester that has a ground probe to get a accurate measurement.
A man of very few words..yes.. no..OK
Was the answers.
The strength when it leaves the factory is 'close' to the spec voltage listed.
But I'll try a ground probe tester and see what that reads.
You made a nice job of the wiring!
Effective grounding is absolutely crucial.
Both my hand-held testers (different brands, one looks very similar to yours) usually shows a HIGHER voltage than the reading on the energiser display. I queried the energiser company about this and they said it was something to do with stored energy in the system, my fence is about 3km of 2 or 3 wire.
You 6.8kV seems pretty good to me, should be thought-provoking for whatever touches it. You might want to test the voltage between the live conductor and whatever else the animal would be standing on at the same time. That's the voltage the animal would be exposed to. If they are standing on the ground then ground is your earth. But if they are standing on something like wood, then that's your earth and it might be less.
6.8kV should give anyone a thrill even if they are standing on dry timber.
Elliott in GA
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Jchonline
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Our German Shepherd keeps them off the deck up here in the mountains. If they are anywhere that he can smell or hear them he runs them off. If they chase him towards the house it would be plan B which has not happened yet but would be similar to that described above. No way I am putting an electric fence anywhere around my home where humans are at risk of shock. Grandkids and such. Also just make sure yhou arent luring them in with inappropriate waste storage. Sealed containers in the inslulated/sealed garage have worked well for us.
Still no spring bears here.
But just noticed it looked like bird seed gone overnight from my feeders on the deck. I moved my ring camera to the deck and it shows a coon climbing onto the deck over the fence wire. Up the outside of the railing over three strands of electric fence wire to the top railing and off to the feeders.
Please tell me the coon isn't grounded unless he's standing on the ground???
I'm shocked to see him not getting cooked on the wire.
On utube shows a coon on the ground walking up to a corn patch touching the fence and taking off.
So why isn't the coon here getting shocked ???
But just noticed it looked like bird seed gone overnight from my feeders on the deck. I moved my ring camera to the deck and it shows a coon climbing onto the deck over the fence wire. Up the outside of the railing over three strands of electric fence wire to the top railing and off to the feeders.
Please tell me the coon isn't grounded unless he's standing on the ground???
I'm shocked to see him not getting cooked on the wire.
On utube shows a coon on the ground walking up to a corn patch touching the fence and taking off.
So why isn't the coon here getting shocked ???
Elliott in GA
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Your reasoning is correct; he is not grounded. You can fix this situation by running a wire near and parallel to one of your hot wires; this extra wire needs to be connected to the ground or your wire that is connected between the charger and the ground. Once the coon touches both wires at the same time, it will feel the full wrath of electricity.
GreensvilleJay
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re: He basically said my $140. Tester was junk. You need a tester that has a ground probe to get a accurate measurement.
TRUE !!
there's no accurate way to read a voltage without a GROUND wire. I downloaded the manual ,though no info on how they get the voltage 'out of the air'.....
you could spend 50 cents and make any DMM or DVM to read the actual fence voltage.
also understand that the strength of the zap depends on the conductivity of the soil. All that stone and slope means very little moisture in the 'soil' so not much 'zap'.
I used to run up to 15 miles of single wire copper and used Mother Earth as the 'return' for a high security,hacker proof remote energy control system. I could tell when the Don river was high or low
TRUE !!
there's no accurate way to read a voltage without a GROUND wire. I downloaded the manual ,though no info on how they get the voltage 'out of the air'.....
you could spend 50 cents and make any DMM or DVM to read the actual fence voltage.
also understand that the strength of the zap depends on the conductivity of the soil. All that stone and slope means very little moisture in the 'soil' so not much 'zap'.
I used to run up to 15 miles of single wire copper and used Mother Earth as the 'return' for a high security,hacker proof remote energy control system. I could tell when the Don river was high or low
Using a shunt? (I've limited knowledge!) Also I was told that the energy (kJ)was just as or more important than the kV. Is that true?
Ran my ground wire today. A customer who's a farmer happened to stop when I was just getting ready to do my ground wire run.
He said my wiring looked fine. But the coon would not have been grounded. So I run the ground wire snaking it 2" off the deck end and 3" below the hot wire. Up 6" and across below another hot wire. The farmer took a thick blade of grass and wet it in his mouth and kept touching it to the hot wire. He said I have on thick boots standing on pea stone so I'm not grounded good.
Once I got the ground wire done. I used my tester to check from hot wire to ground the tester showed 9.2 kv or 9200 volts...I'm pleased with that. It should cook anything small.
He said my wiring looked fine. But the coon would not have been grounded. So I run the ground wire snaking it 2" off the deck end and 3" below the hot wire. Up 6" and across below another hot wire. The farmer took a thick blade of grass and wet it in his mouth and kept touching it to the hot wire. He said I have on thick boots standing on pea stone so I'm not grounded good.
Once I got the ground wire done. I used my tester to check from hot wire to ground the tester showed 9.2 kv or 9200 volts...I'm pleased with that. It should cook anything small.
North Idaho Wolfman
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I see a morning of walking out on the porch, nice morning dew is out, drinking coffee, stretch, reach over and put your had on the rail and BAM, you no longer need to use the restroom! 