Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Testing Electric Fencing  (Read 6153 times)

Badger

  • Joined May 2010
Testing Electric Fencing
« on: January 28, 2011, 06:00:31 pm »
Hi all, We have been wondering if our electric poultry netting is working correctly. It runs from a 12v leisure battery, and that seems to be fine. We have purchased from ebay a six neon tester, which did not come with any instructions. Basically you stick a probe into the ground and touch the other on the fence.When doing this the device shows the bottom reading of 1000 volts, is this correct (the top neon reading is 10,000 volts). Does anybody know if I could attach the lead to the end of the energiser lead out cable to test the energiser itself. We have no idea of the power of the energiser as the sticker with the data has gone blank with age and weathering.  ???

daddymatty82

  • Joined Aug 2010
  • swindon
Re: Testing Electric Fencing
« Reply #1 on: January 28, 2011, 06:39:25 pm »
touch the fence and if it zaps ya you know its working the best and only way to find out for sure

Fergie

  • Joined Oct 2009
Re: Testing Electric Fencing
« Reply #2 on: January 28, 2011, 07:52:50 pm »
Hi all, We have been wondering if our electric poultry netting is working correctly. It runs from a 12v leisure battery, and that seems to be fine. We have purchased from ebay a six neon tester, which did not come with any instructions. Basically you stick a probe into the ground and touch the other on the fence.When doing this the device shows the bottom reading of 1000 volts, is this correct (the top neon reading is 10,000 volts). Does anybody know if I could attach the lead to the end of the energiser lead out cable to test the energiser itself. We have no idea of the power of the energiser as the sticker with the data has gone blank with age and weathering.  ???

I've also got a little probe that you touch onto the wire & flashes a light to show you that it works, and even an indication of the voltage, but it's difficult to see in bright sunshine and not very accurate.  You've obviously got a similar device to mine.  The poultry netting will be reducing the effective power, both by internal resistance and by partially leaking the power to ground through contact with grass, posts etc.

You could disconnect the fencing & check the output of the energiser with only the tester attached, which would tell you the open circuit voltage of the energiser, but it doesn't mean a lot without a real fence attached.  The power of the energiser is measured in joules, and is both the voltage and the ability to maintain that voltage under a loaded situation. Power is measured as volts x amps, and is measured in watts.  One watt is a joule per second, but since the electric fence gives very short pulses, with relatively long off periods. it's measured in in peak joules rather than watts (ie, the average power in watts is very low but the pulse power is quite high)

An easier solution is to hold a blade of grass, and touch it to the fence. You will feel a tingle, but not a severe shock.

I've got the probe, but just use the blade of grass.  This tells you that it is working OK.

Hope this makes sense,

John

faith0504

  • Joined Aug 2010
  • Cairngorms
  • take it easy and chill
    • blaemuir cottage
Re: Testing Electric Fencing
« Reply #3 on: January 28, 2011, 08:17:34 pm »
or get your OH  to touch it thats what i do,  ;) ;D :o :wave:

robert waddell

  • Guest
Re: Testing Electric Fencing
« Reply #4 on: January 28, 2011, 08:26:53 pm »
we have the tester as well and yes it is hard to see in sunlight
i would not hold a blade of grass to the wire of my fence     if you have ever had a shock from a high tension wire(car spark plug) that is what it is like
if it is a low power unit it is no more than useless if the grass is touching it also how it is attached to the posts if wooden posts are used it can earth through them

daddymatty82

  • Joined Aug 2010
  • swindon
Re: Testing Electric Fencing
« Reply #5 on: January 28, 2011, 08:48:48 pm »
better still get your other half next to the fence touch them 1st then touch the fence then they get the shock lol i can touch a mains fence with a spanner and not get shocked  just hand in pocket  touch fence then it earths itself  but i found out other person gets shocked as mate was taking a pee next to fence i walked up behind him and aimed at touching sholder and fence in no time at all lets just say only one place earth out and it hurt him alot lol ;D

mab

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • carmarthenshire
Re: Testing Electric Fencing
« Reply #6 on: January 28, 2011, 10:08:20 pm »
I use an old fluorescent tube (new tubes take a few 100's volts to strike; old ones ~1 to 2 thousand). Hold it (hold the glass) and touch one end to the fence with the other on the ground.

if the fence is good, I can get a 4mm fat spark onto the end of the tube, with a loud CRACK and a bright flash from the tube. When the rain-wet grass has swamped the fence I get a faint tic and a faint glimmer.

Even when wet from the rain the glass tube ensures I don't get zapped by the 1.6J ESB200.  :)

mab

Fergie

  • Joined Oct 2009
Re: Testing Electric Fencing
« Reply #7 on: January 28, 2011, 10:17:14 pm »
I use an old fluorescent tube (new tubes take a few 100's volts to strike; old ones ~1 to 2 thousand). Hold it (hold the glass) and touch one end to the fence with the other on the ground.

mab

Good Idea.

I'd not thought of that.

Mind you, I still think a blade of grass saves you from a serious zap - the resistance is high enough to let you feel the tingle without jumping!

better still get your other half next to the fence touch them 1st then touch the fence then they get the shock lol i can touch a mains fence with a spanner and not get shocked  just hand in pocket  touch fence then it earths itself  but i found out other person gets shocked as mate was taking a pee next to fence i walked up behind him and aimed at touching sholder and fence in no time at all lets just say only one place earth out and it hurt him alot lol ;D

but that's just cruel .......

John

piggy

  • Joined Oct 2008
Re: Testing Electric Fencing
« Reply #8 on: January 28, 2011, 10:48:29 pm »
I'm with faith i get the OH to test it,i do have a tester but as others have said in the daylight i cant see what it says.
Last summer as the mower had broke yet again set up the electric fence on the lawn next to the house so the sheep could mow it for me OH wanted to do it all himself which is very unusual as he never wants to help but i let him get on with it,fence was powered by mains through the kitchen window,all set up and he put the tester on in full daylight and said he didnt think it was working as he couldnt see a reading which i questioned saying it must be but he argued no its not so i said go on then touch it well you have never herd screams like it even the kids who normally dont bat an eyelid came running out of the house to see what was going on,very funny indead couldnt stop laughing for ages.mean i know but funny served him right for not listining to me.

robert waddell

  • Guest
Re: Testing Electric Fencing
« Reply #9 on: January 29, 2011, 10:08:53 am »
one other way to test the power output is with the fence switched of disconnect the run out wire switch the unit on it should be a loud tick holding the runout wire by the insulation hang it on the terminal no difference working perfect if there is a  noticable drop in volume the fence is badly fitted or earthing out

OhLaLa

  • Joined Sep 2010
Re: Testing Electric Fencing
« Reply #10 on: January 29, 2011, 11:16:16 am »
but i found out other person gets shocked as mate was taking a pee next to fence i walked up behind him and aimed at touching sholder and fence in no time at all lets just say only one place earth out and it hurt him alot lol ;D

Mean but funny! Gotta send that one into Jackass.   ;D  ;D  ;D   ;D  ;D

Womble

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • Stirlingshire, Central Scotland
Re: Testing Electric Fencing
« Reply #11 on: January 30, 2011, 07:43:47 am »
Mind you, I still think a blade of grass saves you from a serious zap - the resistance is high enough to let you feel the tingle

Just tried this to check if the horse fencing in the next field was working....... it is!  And I think my swearing may have woken the neighbours!  :o  I think I will invest in a proper tester for once we get our electric netting going!

Related to that, has anybody tried the flashing lights that are meant to attach directly to the fence?  There are two types - one that flashes if the fence is working, and another that only starts flashing if the voltage starts to drop. Just wondered if anybody here has used them at all, and whether they would recommend them?
"All fungi are edible. Some fungi are only edible once." -Terry Pratchett

daddymatty82

  • Joined Aug 2010
  • swindon
Re: Testing Electric Fencing
« Reply #12 on: January 30, 2011, 10:38:31 am »
Mind you, I still think a blade of grass saves you from a serious zap - the resistance is high enough to let you feel the tingle

Just tried this to check if the horse fencing in the next field was working....... it is!  And I think my swearing may have woken the neighbours!  :o  I think I will invest in a proper tester for once we get our electric netting going!

Related to that, has anybody tried the flashing lights that are meant to attach directly to the fence?  There are two types - one that flashes if the fence is working, and another that only starts flashing if the voltage starts to drop. Just wondered if anybody here has used them at all, and whether they would recommend them?
for detering foxes aswell them flashing lights on leccy fences

 

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