Help setting up electric fence!

[Owlett]

Hi guys I'm sure this is the place to ask about electric fence! So I've got about 250ft of wire connected to a charger good for up to ten miles. It's an AC charger and the thing zaps well near charger, but about 15 feet down the line... Nothing
What's going on with it?? I've got two six foot ground posts, is that not enough?

 

[babsbag]

If the rods are buried well then that is probably enough but 3 would be better. Also damp ground is the best but not required. Do you have any vegetation load on the wire? Do you have a meter that actually tells you what the output is? What is the rating on the energizer?

15' isn't very far, that is why a meter with an output reading would be useful.

 

[Owlett]

I've cleared all the weeds and made sure it's not touching dirt anywhere. I have a voltage meter but I have no idea how to work it. Looks like this:

 

[babsbag]

You need an electric fence voltmeter. The short little pulse of power a low impedance fence puts out won't register on a standard multi-meter.

What is the output of the energizer? 1 joule? More? Less?

How far apart are your ground rods? I have read 10' is good.

 

[Ponker]

Check your posts and insulators. You may have a wire going to ground along a post or at a an insulator. Sometimes they can crack or the wire can be touching a wooden post or coming into contact with something.

I had my electric mesh fence low on power (I have 500') so I walked the fence and found the bottom wire touching a metal spike at a junction. That is all it took to reduce power to a third of the normal supply.