Electrical Engineering - Looking for information for building electric fence

Author

Looking for information for building electric fence

electrician@electrician2.com

2006-05-21, 3:21 pm

Here in North Pole, Alaska we have problems with moose eating our
gardens. An electric fence is a proven method to stop them. I need
information about what type of transformer to use. I was thinking
about using a furnace ignition transformer that puts out about 10,000
volts with one wire at about 5 feet and a second wire buried along the
fence perimeter but I don't want to kill mooss (or dogs or people) so
this might be too much. Any infomation would be appreciated.

Andrew Gabriel

2006-05-21, 4:21 pm

In article <1148234494.206816.48830@g10g2000cwb.googlegroups.com>,
electrician@electrician2.com writes:
> Any infomation would be appreciated.

Go and buy one. Otherwise it either won't work, or you will kill
something/someone.

--
Andrew Gabriel

Roy L. Fuchs

2006-05-21, 5:21 pm

On 21 May 2006 18:20:08 GMT, andrew@cucumber.demon.co.uk (Andrew
Gabriel) Gave us:

>In article <1148234494.206816.48830@g10g2000cwb.googlegroups.com>,
> electrician@electrician2.com writes:
>
>Go and buy one. Otherwise it either won't work, or you will kill
>something/someone.

It isn't very likely that someone with such limited capacity to
build such a device would know that the supply required to "kill
something or someone" would be a very beefy design, and likely not be
in his budget either.

A neon sign transformer isn't going to cut it.

Dean Hoffman

2006-05-21, 10:21 pm

In article <1148234494.206816.48830@g10g2000cwb.googlegroups.com>,
electrician@electrician2.com wrote:

> Here in North Pole, Alaska we have problems with moose eating our
> gardens. An electric fence is a proven method to stop them. I need
> information about what type of transformer to use. I was thinking
> about using a furnace ignition transformer that puts out about 10,000
> volts with one wire at about 5 feet and a second wire buried along the
> fence perimeter but I don't want to kill mooss (or dogs or people) so
> this might be too much. Any infomation would be appreciated.

Why would you want to assume the potential liability when there are
plenty of fencers on the market?
This is the first thing that popped up on a Google search as far as
fencing:
http://tinyurl.com/hyqec
Some examples here:
http://www.mytscstore.com/search.asp

The horse fencing might be better since it would be visible. Regular
fence wire would work if you tied some empty beer or pop cans to it so
the critter would spot it. You need only 1 wire. The soil acts to
complete the circuit.

Dean

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electrician@electrician2.com

2006-05-22, 1:21 am

You are all right. I went to a local animal feed store and they had a
whole rack of supplies for electric fences including UL listed
transformers. You learn something ever day. I have never installed
one. I looked all over town before I found one.
An electrician asked me about inspecting an electric fence after they
installed one near Atigun Pass Camp in 1990 to keep the grizzly bears
out. They were doing a tans Alaska pipeline repair job there in the
middle of the Books Range and the Grizzlies kept coming into the 500
man camp. At the time I didn't inspect it because we only inspected
work subject to the NEC and there was nothing in the Code covering
electric fences. It kind of makes sense since the purpose of the Code
is to protect persons and property from the hazards arising from the
use of electricity. Then here we have this fence whose purpose is to
create a hazard using electricity. I wonder how UL lists these
things?
Anyway, we bought a mesh fence to keep the dogs out and now we are
going to put the electric wire on top of the posts to keep the moose
out. This hot bed garden has cost about $1200 so far for an 8 by 16
plot. The sub arctic tomato plants cost $3 a piece. The 12 cubic
yards of top soil cost $340. The fence is costing $200. Anyway the
wife loves it, such is life.
Thank you all for the advice.

Michael A. Terrell

2006-05-22, 2:21 am

electrician@electrician2.com wrote:
>
> Here in North Pole, Alaska

I haven't heard anything about North Pole, Alaska, since I left Ft
Greely in the mid '70s. ;-)

--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

hob

2006-05-22, 2:21 pm

<electrician@electrician2.com> wrote in message
news:1148234494.206816.48830@g10g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> Here in North Pole, Alaska we have problems with moose eating our
> gardens. An electric fence is a proven method to stop them. I need
> information about what type of transformer to use. I was thinking
> about using a furnace ignition transformer that puts out about 10,000
> volts with one wire at about 5 feet and a second wire buried along the
> fence perimeter but I don't want to kill mooss (or dogs or people) so
> this might be too much. Any infomation would be appreciated.
>

They are rated for animal and mileage (and for weed burning).
Thicker furred animal rating means a jump from 9600 volts to 14,400 volts
(and a bit more amps, I think).
The ones I have seen run from 50 miles of wire rated to 300 miles of wire
rated. The bigger ones with weed burners normally pulse, I think (you can
hear the "zing").

The ground leads just sticks in the ground (small ground rod) at the
sender.
50 miles away, a bison charges the wire, he gets stopped cold unless he
jumps in the air before he hits the wire. (And the wire is so stretchy, he
had best make a really long jump, or it will still be in contact with him
when he lands)

---

I got a pet rated one at Mills Fleet Farm for $49 that stings deer and won't
kill birds - about 9600 volts I think.
(Worked just fine on deer -one sting, and they won't go within fifteen
feet of the white stakes even when the wire is off the stakes. The young
ones have to try it in the spring, and one shot and the garden is protected
for the year) Insulators are about $3 for 50.

You can also get the 300 mile 14,400 volt one rated for bison and sheep
for about $180-250. Covers 300 miles, and it will bring a charging bull
American bison or Merino ram to its knees (they have a lot of heavy hair on
their fronts, and also they will try to break the wire by charging it or
hooking it with their horns).

With a moose, whether a small one works depends if they figure out how to
take out the wire with their horns - if they ever do, then you would need to
upgrade to the bigger sender, with a row of stronger barbed wire with
electric wire rows.

note: the bigger non-pet ones also kill birds, cats, and small dogs.

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