Electric fences

[underpar12]

Had a call today from a golf club, wanting me to investigate a drop in voltage on there fences around the greens ,the fences are feed from a time clock back at the club house. I have not visited as of yet but could do with some useful info when I get there.

 

[trev]

My first question would be how do they know it's a volt drop issue?

 

[underpar12]

The green keepers have noticed that more cattle are getting past the fences then normal .

 

[Pete999]

The green keepers have noticed that more cattle are getting past the fences then normal .

Them cows have been on a 5 day course for safe isolation I reckon

 

[underpar12]

Ha ha ,the safest place on most golf courses is on the greens.

 

[Octopus]

My guess is that one or more of the fences is coming into contact with the "ground" which reduces their effectiveness massively.

I would recommend you visit when they are switched on and walk alongside them in silence and listen for "grounding".

Do the club have a "tester" that shows the effectiveness of the fence? This could help too.

 

[davesparks]

Walk the entire length of the fence to check for shorts to ground, anything down to a single blade of grass touching the fence will drag it down.

Check the the earth rod and it's connections are in good condition, check the Ra of the earth rod.

Get hold of an electric fence tester before go there so you can actually see what's going on, it will register the voltage of each pulse from the controller. Pulses should be somewhere between 5 and 10 KV

 

[Octopus]

Walk the entire length of the fence to check for shorts to ground, anything down to a single blade of grass touching the fence will drag it down.

Check the the earth rod and it's connections are in good condition, check the Ra of the earth rod.

Get hold of an electric fence tester before go there so you can actually see what's going on, it will register the voltage of each pulse from the controller. Pulses should be somewhere between 5 and 10 KV

My experience is with chickens - whats yours Andy?

 

[davesparks]

Horses playing at Houdini.

I posted a thread about it on t 'other forum at the time

 

[Octopus]

Horses playing at Houdini.

I posted a thread about it on t 'other forum at the time

Mine was Mr Fox coming for dinner on a regular basis!

 

[underpar12]

The green keepers uses a led tester and he said the fence is showing a lot less on the tester.
i will check the ropes for grounding ,anything else to look for.

 

[davesparks]

Eh? The controller should be grounded via an earth rod with a low Ra (you'll need a proper earth rod tester)

The tapes/wires or whatever need to be well insulated from the ground.

 

[guest119]

Ask Geordie, he has one to keep Tidy in the kitchen?????????

 

[Marvo]

Earthing. HV fences should be earth rodded every so many meters (see manufacturers instructions.) Also those multiple LED fence indicators aren't accurate you need something more like this http://www.instrumentsgroup.co.za/index_files/T+M/T+Mspecs/Scope-A-Fence.pdf

 

[JD6400]

If they are tapes , have a look at the inlaid wire strands to see if they are getting worn and broken , this is also applicable for the plastic wire version which is inlaid with thin wire strands as well .
A decent fence tester is a must to find the variations down the line .
I have seen it done with a blade of grass , with the change in the "crack" signifying the trouble spots , but the old boy doing it was a proper old timer farm hand .

Generally what ever Davesparks said , is spot on

 

[davesparks]

Earthing. HV fences should be earth rodded every so many meters (see manufacturers instructions.) Also those multiple LED fence indicators aren't accurate you need something more like this http://www.instrumentsgroup.co.za/index_files/T+M/T+Mspecs/Scope-A-Fence.pdf

How does rodding them every few metres work? What do you connect the rod to ?

 

[Simon-0116]

Just get hold off it. This was a friends dads party trick. Hands like shovels thick skinned dairy farmer could hold all 3 wires battery or mains powered. Every one else first crack on your knees shaking.

 

[Marvo]

How does rodding them every few metres work? What do you connect the rod to ?

Not every few meters, usually every 50-100 meters. Depends on local ground conditions.

 

[davesparks]

Right I see, I've not seen a fence with an earth wire before, hence my confusion.

In all my research and limited experience on them I've only ever come across systems with all wires live and the ground itself being used to complete the circuit. So the only earth rod is the one connected to the controllers output earth.

 

[Marvo]

Maybe the laws or just the equipment is different in the UK, most of the fences here, both agricultural and domestic/commercial security, are multiwire with alternating ground and HT. Most manufacturers recommend rods along the fence every 50 or 100 meters (obviously as well as rods at the control unit), some just stipulate a maximum touch voltage on the earth wires when they're shorted to the HT wires because that's what adversely affects the integral RS-232/485 comms between controllers. In this case you add rods accordingly to achieve their required figures under short conditions.

I've seen single wire systems elsewhere in Africa but they were very primitive agricultural fencing, I doubt they'd install that type at a golf course.

 

[eddieboy]

Is it battery or mains operated. I would imagine mains.

My experience is with both horses and chickens. :juggle2:

 

[guest119]

Is it battery or mains operated. I would imagine mains.

My experience is with both horses and chickens. :juggle2:

There are a few on here more than just experienced, with sheep!

 

[PEG]

Maybe the laws or just the equipment is different in the UK, most of the fences here, both agricultural and domestic/commercial security, are multiwire with alternating ground and HT. Most manufacturers recommend rods along the fence every 50 or 100 meters (obviously as well as rods at the control unit), some just stipulate a maximum touch voltage on the earth wires when they're shorted to the HT wires because that's what adversely affects the integral RS-232/485 comms between controllers. In this case you add rods accordingly to achieve their required figures under short conditions.

I've seen single wire systems elsewhere in Africa but they were very primitive agricultural fencing, I doubt they'd install that type at a golf course.

Marvo,i think your fences are more "Jurassic Park",and ours are a bit "Chicken Run" :icon12: Best test is to pee on it...if it feels like both your kidneys have been IR tested.....it's OK