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Electric fencers

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I used a Galiger charger for about 20 years but had to change as I could no longer get parts. About 5 years ago I bought the biggest charger TSC sells ( it claims 150 mile range) and the directions state it takes 3 copper clad ground rods. I only put in 2 8' copper clad and drove them 6" below ground so that noone would puncture a lawn mower tire. I have about 10 miles of double high tensle fence on it and get 5 lights every where. I installed gate handles at activation points so if I get a short I can isolate it and not have to run the entire fence. With this charger a tree can drop on the fence and bring it to the ground and I will still have 3 lights. MOre than enough to turn livestock. I can shut off the bottom wire to allow cattle to trim the fence lines but if I get dogs or coyotes I turn it on and all strays leave the area.
Buy the best charger you can afford and you will save money in the long run!
 
ok,fine. i'm talking joules, you all are talking volts. i COULD go look in my physics book, but it's easier (i think!), to ask: what's more important? i was at TSC yesterday and they have some "zebra" thing for a charger, the one with 6 joules was 170 bucks. christ, how do you guys afford it? subsidies, or what???

anyway, i figured out the ground deal, now what about joules vs volts? get after it, make fun, i don't care. at least i'm not blond (sorry blond ladies....). just answer. lol
 
The best way to explaine it is a joule is a measure ment of the pain that can be felt when the capasitor discharges - - - capasitive discharge is used so that a very high voltage can be sent down the line without sending enought current to cause real damage. But if you get into a fence that has enough joules you will remember it and stay away - - this is what makes the stray dogs make a wide birth of your property. Yes $170.00 is a large amount of money but it should have lighting protection and last for several years. And with proper grounding mine turns anything I have put into it when properly trained. Cheaper chargers are tested by young animals and stubborn older ones but the good ones make believers out of them.
 
On the grounding rods, it would depend on what type of fastner one used. Use a brass fastner for copper and non cooper wire. Lo Impedence ele fencer. Wow what a kick, much more effective and traditional fencer.
 
I've actually seen articles saying that the PEL fencer is better than the Gallagher. It is substantially cheaper, too. Right now I have a Parmak and a Co-op Scorpion as well as an older Co-op brand fencer. My Dad uses a 'Bulldozer' fencer. All seem to work okay as long as the fence is kept relatively clean. We live in the sand so we have a hard time getting a decent ground. I had three galvanized ground rods in and it still wasn't getting the charge I wanted so I finally buried a big piece of steel pipe about 4' down and welded my groundwire to it. It seems to work better, now. I think the important thing is to keep the fence clean and make sure you have alot of wire at all your connection points.
 
you guys could make a priest turn to drink :D

i think i have the ground deal figured out, but can ANYONE make the joules/volts/impedence simple for me? what's important to the animal? that's who i'm tryin' to keep in...

i thought i loved you guys, but now i'm not so sure. too much info, too many perspectives, the engagement may be extended... :)
 
the best thing about too much info is, you take the bits and pieces you want, and the rest is fodder.


the fencers I run cost me $300 so I would say the $170 is a good deal.

it is not a point of how can we afford high priced fencers, it is simply, we can't afford not to have a good one !

I would rather spend alot of money on fence than chase cattle all over my neighbors fields!!!
 
Here is a little formula for you confusion. 120 volts times .83Amps/Hr equal to 100 Watts. 1000 watts are equal to 1 Kilowatt. Lo impedence means ground seaking, my fencer is 1 amp.
 
so, is low impedance (sp?), better because it seeks the ground, ie, the animal?

i don't think actually grounding the deal will be a problem because i'm working in clay soil; but NOW i'm wondering about the ground from the co-op which supplies elec to the barn, which is within about 15' probably of where i would put a ground rod in. so if the co-op's ground is copper, i shouldn't use copper?

i refer to my post at 7:09 pm on the 30th...

did i miss something here (there's a surprise), but what's a PEL fencer?? just in case, again, that i've missed something or not made a connection. like THAT would ever happen :lol:
 
chuckie.....your best bet is to drop in to a dealer (feed store etc.) that specializes in selling fencers. You have a smaller acreage and definately don't need a large or expensive charger. An experienced sales person can set you up with an effective system that fits in your budget and show you the proper setup methods(wire hookups, ground rods , insulators etc.). They can save you a lot of time, money and frustration by getting you the proper setup right from the start! Good luck!
 
Mine is 1 amp and yes the lo impedence seeks something to ground to, as in animal, man, grass etc. Be sure and get a tester to check the current level in line without touching it yourself :mad:
 
did i miss something here (there's a surprise), but what's a PEL fencer?? just in case, again, that i've missed something or not made a connection. like THAT would ever happen
Click to expand...

Its just another brand name like Gallagher or Co-op. I know a couple of guys that have them and they are happy with them. Good Luck.
 
thanks for all the input guys/gals. now at least i (maybe) won't sound like a complete and utter idiot when i go shopping. and believe me, i need all the help i can get! :D
 
Grounding will make or break the effectiveness of any fencer. We have found that the best place to put them is along the back wall (outside) of the cattle shed. We plug the fencer undercover, and run the ground along the back wall and then down to each of 3 ground rods. The rain that falls off the back of the shed keeps the ground rods permanently wet, and the voltage readings on the fencers rarely drops below 8.0V at a mile away, and nearly 8 miles of multiple wires.
 
Poor Darlin: Electricity can be so confusing unless you look at it as if it were water. The ground connection is sort of like the drain in your tub. The bigger the drain the faster the flow. The faster the flow the more water you can move. With electricity, the more current you can flow at any one time the stronger the charge. Also as with water the further, you try to make it travel the more resistance it encounters. If you want to move water a long way you either have to increase the size of the pipe (wire) or increase the pressure (joules). Are we making since now?
To enclose 7 acres a charger that is rated to charge a mile or so should be plenty. A deep ground rod will work fine but do not attach to any power source such as the power company ground. We don't want a chance of getting household power in the ground system.
On another note: Lightning: I recommend that you put something in the hot line to stop the lightning from running back into the charger trying to find a ground. The two small fuses in the charger are not enough. Every time you get a storm, you will be replacing not only the fuses but also the fuse holders and if you get a good jolt, you can buy a new charger.
You can get a Parmak for $75 that will work fine for what you need. Try www.parkmak.com
 
oops: bad link. Try this : www.parmakusa.com
The modle FM is plenty for what you need.
 
alabama--this just goes to show why we "poor darlin"s keep you guys around: what a beautiful explanation!! THAT i get!!! and thanks for the tip on lightning protection.

i think jigs was just trying to get me in trouble with the co-op.. :) he's probably a lineman..

and, the tip from mcleod was good too--i have a perfect spot for the ground.

thanks again!!
 
You're welcome Chuckie.......... I have a 6V Parmak solar/drycell combination that I really like. I've made it portable enough that I can move it around to different parts of the farm easily. The 110V fencer is a Stinger, that made in Winnipeg, MB. I think that its the same manufacturer (Same case anyway) as the outfit that us to make BEE. Not sure how many miles its running, but I know that I could feel it through a wet post on another fence today. My wife grabbed the gate first and it shouldn't have been hot, but the hot wire must be touching on a wire somewhere in the system to get there.
 

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