Electric Fence to stop Bear

[jimmyj]

Teg, that must be quite a zapper! We have had critters zapped lots of time but never has there been a fatality.

Valley, we use 3x 10' ground rods for our run.

 

[teg]

Valley, I used a single 6 or 7' copper coated, galvanized iron rod with a very thick (~1/8") copper wire connecting it to the unit. Yes, Overkill *is* my middle name . The ground is very nice dirt and I don't think it dried out at all this summer... in Hillsville, Va. I'm sure all of that "help" to get a full zap... I would hate to see what 9 Joules would do... besides melting the wire fence.

Jimmyj - 3x 10' (!!!) grounding rods... I might have to change my middle name My whole "garden" is a max of 60 feet away from the grounding rod & unit. So that might also help.

 

[valley]

Teg, That wasn't overkill just a very good positive ground that most fences don't have, good job. I won't be able to drive rods, I'll have to dig and bury gal pipes and keep the ground moist there but I still won't have as good a ground as you have. I'll have to have the horse wire of the existing fence as ground and every othere wire grounded. The ground here will dry out in summer. I want to be able to shut off the bottom two lines for the earley snow. When the big snows are here the fence will have to be turned off.

jimmyj, Sounds good, like I said too many rocks to drive rods. [darn expensive thoes rods!]

 

[teg]

I was wondering if you can take the ground (dirt) out of the loop and run a pair of wires, one positive & one negative, right next to each other for a bigger shock. ...and would this give too much shock? (such as... lights diming / flickering ). Gives a whole new meaning to; Smokey the Bear!!

You can hook each pair to a switch so that you could cut off the set which gets snow on it. Just a thought.

 

[valley]

The box just came with the insulators I ordered. We started the wiring last week but needed additional material. I choose the ring type for the corners with the lag screw.

 

[valley]

That is the way most of the makers suggest to set up the fence, every other wire is hot. Most people don't have an existing fence. We have a horse wire fence that I am grounding back to the unit. This will be the first I have set up. I have looked at a lot of fences on the net.

 

[valley]

Well we began to charge the fence, section by section and check for continuity and leaks or shorts. Got a couple good jolts. Zapped me right through the insulation on the 5 light tester. I didn't enjoy it.

 

[jimmyj]

Hey Valley, just don't get zapped when you are not protected by rubber soled shoes. For example if you are kneeling or whatever, the zap is way stronger!

 

[valley]

jimmyj, The entire six foot horse wire fence is grounded. There are 9 strands of 12ga wire on stand offs on the outside of the fence. When we first turned on the charger the nails holding the insulators were too close to the horse wire in some places and we could hear cracks where the charge was jumping to ground. Leaves a black mark where it hits. Don't want to get hit with that. Drove two grounds one on either side of the corral. We haven't gotten all the bugs out yet nor put up signs.
Teg's charger must be something like this one.

 

[valley]

The fence will be hot over night for the first time. It tick tocks like a grandfather clock. Wondering if they all make that sound.