It takes a really hot fence charger to do this… but! Years ago I wired up a spark plug at the far end of the garden so that the electric fence would arc across the gap making a flash and a loud pop. Why? Because I figured out that deer are more scared of the flash/pop than of the fence itself.
5 Likes
I picked up a cheap tester today and it registered 7000v at the energizer post and 6000v on the fence. Got back to the house and realized I forgot to check the charge controller to see how the battery charge was or the charge being generated and sent to the battery. Will check next time I’m down there.
1 Like
If your getting 7000v at the energizer post you ideally should be getting 7000v on the fence too. I’m running 2 different energizers and getting 7000v on both fences (one for a dog pen and the other for a small orchard).
For your battery I think that would you need a battery tester.
Can you post the make and model of your controller and the solar panel, also where you bought them. Thanks
1 Like
The controller and panel were an Ebay kit buy. What I searched for was 20Amp solar charge controller and a 30w solar panel. I recall there weren’t many options for that combination. They seem to be functioning well and keeping the battery well charged. However, I’m not impressed with the Silver Streak fence energizer. I’m going to add another grounding rod and see if that helps.
1 Like
I need to get a real tester. I don’t know if what I used is adequate or not but I do have a hot wire tester I use whenever I work on my home lights etc that I move close to the fence wire and surprisingly it beeped when I got near. This might not be enough test to determine how well the system works but this is the first without any night raiders.
1 Like
I think the most important part of a electric fence is a good fence charger with a lot of joules .
Around 7 joules seems good.
You want to bring the fear of the devil in them.
Something they will not soon forget.
The effectiveness of everything is in direct proportion to the joules
You don’t want to just give them a little tingle.
Rather you want to knock the sh~~ ! Out of em.
They won’t be back , or at least they will remember, the devil is near. A really good ground is so important.
The testers with the flashing lights will make it easy to check for problems daily at a glance
1 Like
Which one would you suggest? Thanks
I did that several years ago with a 100watt light bulb and 120V to my fence. The raccoon didn’t live over it. No other raccoons came back after… until the next year.
I have a older gallager charger.
Also a speed rite .
Both around 7 joules
Neither model is made now , but there are similar ones by these companies. ~$300 and worth every cent .
They are high impedance chargers , will shock better through grass / weeds on fence.
A lightning protector is a good investment.
Lost one to lightning , before I learned about them.
And the lightning protector has saved me several times since
1 Like
Good to know, great info. Thanks
The difference between 1 joule and 7 is…
1 joule is like some one hit you in the back pretty good with a whiffle ball bat.
7 joules is like you got hit on both sides of your head,
And everywhere else …ALL at once. …
Like BAMM !
1 Like
We’ve been working on our coon/possum fence by first putting a 30" tall “horse” fence attached to the bottom of our deer fence. The “horse” fence is has a 2x4" metal weave.
The idea is to then put the electric fence above the coon/possum fence. That way we won’t have to be so diligent in keeping the weeds from grounding the electric fence out, yet the varmints won’t be able to get underneath the electric fence.
It has taken a while to get the coon/possum fence up. Understandably, quite a few customers have stopped to ask what we are doing (I’m sure it looks strange, attaching a short fence to a really tall one.) I have explained what we are doing, but I have gotten some comments from some customers that they are doubtful it will work.
We have spent considerable $$$ and time getting this varmint fence up, and still have to put the electric fence up. My question to members of the forum, "Does anyone have any experience of electric fencing NOT preventing coons/possums from entering their orchard area? If so, were you able to identify the reason the electric fence did not work?
3 Likes
Fusion,
I think I know what you mean by an “interrupter” and a “coil”. AKA lightening arrestor & lightening choke, right?
However, what do you mean by a “spike coil”? I’ve never heard of that, and can’t find any reference on the internet.
I think you have an excellent plan. My next small orchard will be similar but on a smaller scale. My one low wire last year worked well but it required frequent weed removal. I turned my fence on a few weeks ahead of my needs and I think this gave them time to sample the fence and they didn’t return.
1 Like
Andy,
I had one other question on your system, if you don’t mind.
Your first post shows clamps to hook your fence charger to the battery. Could you also hook up your fence charger to your solar controller (the two end lugs) to power your charger?
Yes, I believe you can. I chose to run it direct as I just want the panel to charge the battery. I’m experiencing really low output at the fence this winter, so I’m going to add at least one more grounding rod. If that improves things I may add a third. I have the old one on the opposite side that I need to pull with the loader and reset near my current set up. I’m wondering if I need to upgrade to a more potent charger. I’ll keep adjusting things until it works. How large of an area are you protecting? I’m probably looking at 6-7 acres.
1 Like
Mine’s only 18 acres, but it seems to take forever to put up fence. By the time you roll the fence out, stretch it, make sure it sets down in the valleys well, put the clips on, button it up to all the corner/gate posts, it has taken us a while.
Maybe I’ll try to get a picture of it.
1 Like
The components of a good fence charger include an interruptor which is a component that turns the electricity to the coil on and off. It is what makes the fence have a sharp spike of voltage for about 5 milliseconds, then a 1 or 2 second rest period. Electric fences are required to have an interruptor so they do not trap animals on the fence. If the electricity was on all the time, an animal could get muscle spasms that prevent them from getting away. The interruptor prevents this. Modern chargers use thyristors or other components to keep the pulse to a very short interval, sometimes down to just a few microseconds. Voltage is also very specific and carefully regulated.
The coil is just a transformer that turns low voltage such as from a 12 volt battery into high voltage between 2,000 and 10,000 volts. Low voltage can’t shock under normal conditions. 10,000 volts on the other hand can arc across a large gap to shock whatever is near the fence.
A spike coil is just another coil that is triggered when the fence is shorted such as by a weed. The spike coil boosts the voltage and/or amperage enough to burn through the weed. A good coil design incorporates both the normal coil and spike windings in the same transformer. Instead of looking for a “spike coil”, just look for a fence charger that has “weed whacker” listed as a feature. Ability to burn weeds is a very common feature of fence chargers today.
edit: I meant to mention that some areas should not use weed whacker type chargers because they can cause grass fires under some conditions. They are useful here in the southeast, but would not be recommended in a dry climate.
3 Likes
Electrical testers, wires, tape, etc that are designed for 120 volt electricity are not adequate for electric fences. The voltage on an electric fence is many times higher than 120 Volts and will melt or destroy components not built for that voltage. You can never have too many ground rods. The only place I use a single ground rod is with 200 feet of fence that I use to train calves to the electric fence. Anytime I want to leave a lasting impression I use 3 ground rounds at 6 foot spacing.
2 Likes