ELECTRIC FENCE TERMINOLOGY

· a.c.

Alternating current as from a mains power supply (i.e. 110/120v or 220/240v).

· d.c.

Direct current from 12v battery input.

· Current

It is the current, the duration and rate of its flow which causes the shock. Increasing the voltage increases the current whereas increasing the resistance decreases the current.

· Amp (Ampere)

Unit of flow of current.

· Ohm

Unit of resistance.

· Volt

Unit of electrical pressure which creates the current flow.

· Watt

Unit of power.

· Joule

Unit of energy. A joule is one watt for one second.

· Short

A large loss of voltage from the fenceline to the ground. This can be caused by live wires touching the ground or ground wires.

· Leakage

Small losses of energy from the Fenceline to earth. These losses can be caused by seasonal vegetation growth, faulty insulators etc.

· Impedance

Total effective fence load. This is made up of Capacitance, Inductance and Resistance. In terms of the energizer, low impedance means low internal resistance of the energizer. Stafix energizers have one of the lowest impedance levels of any energizer available today. This means you get more power on the fence.

· Resistance

Anything that causes a loss of power on the fence. This is often called "the load" and is measured in ohms.

· Insulator

A material which resists the flow of current. All Stafix insulators are made from high quality plastic materials giving optimum insulation properties.

· Conductor

A material through which current will readily flow. All metals are conductors.

· Induction

In terms of the fenceline, this is the transfer of power without physical contact, from an electrified wire to a non electric wire or gate. This is usually noticed by touching a wire on the conventional fence (or gate) and finding it "live". This phenomenon is more noticeable in damp weather conditions.

· Live Wire

The wire connected to the energizer power terminal which carries the current.

· Ground

The rods in the ground which are connected to the ground terminal on the energizer. The ground collects the pulse through the earth when an animal touches the live wire and completes the circuit.

· Capacitors

energizers use capacitors to store energy. This energy is released through the output transformer in the form of a high energy pulse.