Mains fencer set up

[Pasty]

Currently have loads of poultry nets and other fences on energisers with leisure batteries and it's getting a bit of a job to haul them in and out for charging etc. I think I'll be up to 11 energisers by spring. A few have died recently, I assume because of the damp weather etc. Also a couple of my batteries have failed. It's all getting a bit crap.

So, was thinking of 1 big mains powered job. I assume I would put this in the barn on the wall with a really good earth and run lead out cable? If you do this, how do you protect the cable? I could tuck it in behind stock fences or bury it (in blue pipe or something?). Can you set it up so you can plumb into it here and there? Also, what about power cuts? Could you just use a standard UPS unit to keep it running?

Lastly, how about isolating it when I get up the field if the energiser is still going. Can you get a switch unit or something better than a crocodile clip? Any links would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Poorbuthappy]

Switches here - http://www.molevalleyfarmers.com/mvf/store/products/gallagher-cut-out-switch

Can you run a live wire(s) out on your existing fence (a top wire or a stand off wire) and thus be able to connect in easily anywhere required.

 

[Gone Shooting]

Use a couple on the livery side with cutout switches in the field in case of any probs and works great. We have put the leadout cable in blue pipe in the shed in case it shorts out ( near hay ) - power cut have a couple of fencers on standby - one of our cut outs is an end off an old jump lead.

 

[Pasty]

Good idea. Just put a live strand instead of barb on the stock fence and clip onto it wherever. I think blue or black pipe would be good to get the lead out up to the field. Got to go under a road bridge with a stream in it.

 

[Bury the Trash]

Good idea. Just put a live strand instead of barb on the stock fence and clip onto it wherever. I think blue or black pipe would be good to get the lead out up to the field. Got to go under a road bridge with a stream in it.

by lead out cable do you mean the correct double insulated stuff ?-its expensive and if its small wire will spoil things a bit on a long run.Its no good putting just ordinary wire thru the poly pipe either.for carrying around the field use a single 2.5mm (ht) wire added to your perimenter fence if you have one and use either 'stand off' insulators (which are expensive) or add a 'top' wire to the stock fence with screw in type insulators-use a special tool in your cordless to drive them in -it will come free with a big number of insulators

 

[Lincs Lass]

We put a mains unit in for cattle many moons ago ,,there used to be an armoured single core cable that you could dig in without any other protection ,,it ran up a gate post to a bank of isolators ,,you could turn of any field separately,,use the same cable to run under gate ways to pick up the live on the other side ,,if you wanted to extend a line it was easy

 

[IEM]

I'm using a speedrite 15000 bought from rappa which is mains or battery. Very happy with it so far and gives flexibility to use on a battery if needed

 

[ploughman1963]

We have gone a long way to putting in a live mains unit wire around much of our grazing ground and it has made strip grazing a very easy operation as the cows now respect it as opposed to just trampling the solar unit powered ones. Our sheep grazier is currently running his sheep fencing off it and weve hardly had a breakout this winter.

 

[Dry Rot]

by lead out cable do you mean the correct double insulated stuff ?-its expensive and if its small wire will spoil things a bit on a long run.Its no good putting just ordinary wire thru the poly pipe either.for carrying around the field use a single 2.5mm (ht) wire added to your perimenter fence if you have one and use either 'stand off' insulators (which are expensive) or add a 'top' wire to the stock fence with screw in type insulators-use a special tool in your cordless to drive them in -it will come free with a big number of insulators

I think the 'proper' lead out cable is aluminium wire inside double insulation. Aluminium conducts electricity better than steel and is cheaper than copper. But why not lead ordinary fence wire through blue alkathene? Works perfectly! No need for expensive insulated lead out cable.

Design your set up properly and stock won't go near it, whether it is on or off. (You've just reminded me that mine is currently off, but my horses still won't go and touch it to check whether it is on -- nor will I!). If you want to cross a live wire, just put your (dry!) coat over it. Yes, and position cut out switches strategically. With a single wire on offsets, you'll only need to support the wire on insulators every 10 - 20 metres if it is properly tensioned, maybe even wider. I think the Aussies support their fences at much bigger spacings.

 

[Gone Shooting]

Used ordinary wire to finish a run and it soon burnt out - proper lead out best in long run - use electric rope for the horses - much better and stronger than tape and stays tight.

 

[Pasty]

I would use double insulated to get out to the field(s) in question as it has to go under a road through a bridge which occasionally fills up in a flood so that would have to be fairly solidly fixed and I would assume protected in a pipe of some sort.

 

[Grouse]

I use hosepipe rather than blue pipe - it's cheaper (free if it's old pipe) and far easier to handle

 

[ploughman1963]

If going underground (say through a gateway) I would always put the genuine lead-out cable in a piece of piping as when weve done it without we have always had short-outs as a small stone will easily pierce the outer insulation.

 

[Bill]

If it's a long run run a plain wire from the fencer earth out to the existing fence and connect to the bottom strand. do this between fences, and put down earth spikes every 200-300 meters.
This will have the same effect as the fencer being on a short run.
A neighbour ran a 12v fencer on a 3 mile fence for cattle and sheep with no problem.(the fence was not overgrown.)

 

[slackjawedyokel]

We have a Speedrite energiser that has a remote control so you can switch it off when you're away from the buildings (you put it on the fence and press the off button). For lead-out wires we just use thickish (over 3mm) ordinary fencing wire - seems to work grand! For gateways we buy the insulated stuff and poke it inside alkethene pipe - belt and braces!
For convenience we also have a few cut-off switches (the red ones on the Rappa website) to isolate sections as necessary.

 

[Dry Rot]

Used ordinary wire to finish a run and it soon burnt out - proper lead out best in long run - use electric rope for the horses - much better and stronger than tape and stays tight.

Most of my fences are 2.5mm high tensile galvanised wire. I have it so I can switch the power from 4 or 5 wires (for sheep) or just the top wire. Visibility is increased by cable tying old or cheap white tape to the top wire. Been doing this for over 20 years and it works for me. A lot of the posts are the original Insultimber very dense wood that doesn't need insulators from Gallagher. The key is to have a good energiser that puts out a strong punch that will burn through vegetation and deliver a big enough shock so that livestock doesn't come back for a second try!

 

[Paddington]

We run double insulated in alkathene pipe out to the fields, just got remember if digging later and come across a blue pipe, is that a water pipe or an electric pipe? I also shield the isolator switches in a plastic box as if the switch is fastened to a gate post it's easy to catch it in passing in the dark !