18,000volts on line?!?

[Hunt4farm]

I just checked my single wire with brand new digital tester( not cheapest one)32$.
I have a 30 mile charger that's new, and 3 -6'ground rods about 8-10' apart.
I just about dropped the tester when it showed 18.0!?!
Can this be right?

 

[babsbag]

I don't want to touch your fence. My meter won't even register that high, it only goes to 9.9 Does your charger give you a joule rating?

 

[Hunt4farm]

Without looking I think it's 1.2 or 1.4 joules

 

[secuono]

My plugin is 14 to 15k.
Solar read 7k, not enough for mini horses....

So that's a nice energizer. What brand/model??

 

[Hunt4farm]

Zereba, 30 mile

 

[Mike CHS]

I have a Zareba 75 mile that shows on average about 17k on both the fence hot wire and the electric netting we use. We usually just step under it at the gates but I can tell you from personal experience that it will put you down on your backside.

 

[Hunt4farm]

I'm just starting to get my fence done, so it's only 700' of wire so far

 

[Hunt4farm]

I had to energize it b/c my goats were chewing the insulators off almost faster than being put up.
With at said, is that too much voltage for two myotonic goats?
I'm getting two Hereford calves in a month...

 

[babsbag]

Mine runs at about 7.5-9 and it is plenty hot for goats. Not sure if any hotter would be dangerous or not for them, but it sure would be for me. I can't imagine why anyone wants a fence that hot unless you have bear or Mt. Lions. Mine keeps the coyotes at bay. (I also have LGDs).

Don't you love our goat helpers?

 

[greybeard]

Zereba, 30 mile

Solar or plug in to 120v outlet?
18KV is pretty high, tho on a short fence it's conceivable.*
If solar, I'd be surprised if it's more than 1 joule.
Here's the specs for Zareba's "Best" 30 mile solar charger:
30 Mile Solar Charger At A Glance

• One of the most powerful solar-powered fence chargers made in the USA
• Under optimal conditions, energizes up to 30 miles of fence line
• Distance Rating for Steel Wire: 30 miles (no weeds), 15 miles (light weeds), 7 miles (heavy weeds)
• Distance Rating for Polywire: 15 miles (no weeds), 7 miles (light weeds), 3.5 miles (heavy weeds)
• For use in heavy vegetation conditions
• Ideal for remote fence lines
• Flashing "Fence OK" light to lets you know the charger is in operation
• Obtain optimum performance and battery life with built-in solar setting switch
• Capable of operating day and night up to 2 weeks with no sun
• Solar panel rating of 12 volts/5 watts
• Solar power, 12 volt battery (included), 0.5 joule, low impedance
  [*]Output voltage: 7.8KV +/- 20% open circuit voltage

As you can see, it's a .5 joule rating at 7800Volts plus or minus 20%.

Zareba, as far as I know, doesn't make a 30 mile AC powered fence charger. Closest to 30 miles is their 25 mile charger and it's specs are:
25 Mile AC Charger At A Glance

• Under optimal conditions, energizes 25 miles of fence
• Distance Rating for Steel Wire: 25 miles (no weeds), 12 miles (light weeds), 6 miles (heavy weeds)
• Distance Rating for Polywire: 12 miles (no weeds), 6 miles (light weeds), 3 miles (heavy weeds)
• For use in heavy vegetation conditions
• "Fence OK" indicator light shows when charger is in operation
• AC power, 1.0 output joules, low impedance
• Operates electric fencing, including high tensile steel or aluminum wire, polywire, polyrope and polytape

*it's conceivable...
1st, volts don't mean much when it comes to getting shocked on an electric fence, because it's energy (joules) that causes the shock. Voltage is a part of the mathematical formula for determining watts (Power) of course, and Power X time (in seconds) = joules.. Joules= energy and that's the important part of any fence charger's capacity. We simply measure for voltage because there is no inexpensive instrument that can read out joules and there may not be one at all. (beyond my schoolin)

So, how does one get a measurment of 18kv on a fence that is probably advertised at around 7000-8000V?
The 30 mile range of the fence charger. The energizer is designed to provide advertised voltage on the full length of the 30 mile fence, assuming it's clean of weeds and well insulated and grounded correctly.
There is an anomaly that is seen in current flow sometimes referred to as electron buildup or backflow. (both in AC and DC current) The voltage excites and pushes the individual electrons down the wire till they get to the end of the wire. Most people erroneously think that a fence will be hotter closer to the energizer, but on a good fence, the opposite is true. As the electrons build up at the end of the fence, the voltage is higher nearer the end of the fence than at the beginning of the fence. And, if the fence or circuit is relatively short in comparison to the capacity of the charger, almost all of the fence will see this buildup and back flow of electrons.
In as much as you have a fence only about 1/8 mile long, connected to an energizer rated for 120 X that length, you will most likely see a higher voltage rating on the fence than is advertised on the charger.

Note: A fence length in reference to the charger capacity is the number of conductors (wires) X their individual length. One wire 30 miles long = a 30 mile fence, but add a second hot wire to the fence, and the charger now sees 60 miles of fence.
AND, because the ground path back to the ground rods is also part of the circuit, the distance from the point of shock (where the animal touched the wire) back to the ground rods and neg terminal of the charger also has to be taken into account. Remember--the shock doesn't take place until that pulse makes it thru the animal, into the soil and back up the ground rod to the negative terminal on the charger's circuit board.

(Now, aren't ya glad ya asked?)