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INTRODUCTION HOW AN ELECTRIC FENCE WORKS PLANNING ENERGIZER INSTALLATION FENCE CONSTRUCTION FAULT FINDING REGULATIONS AND SAFETY POINTS TERMINOLOGY |
PLANNINGIt is important to construct a high quality fence. This will ensure fewer problems in the future.Electric fences do not need to be constructed to the same strength as conventional fences because they provide a psychological barrier rather than a physical one. They should still, however, be soundly constructed to withstand the rigors of use. The overall layout of your electric fence system deserves careful planning to ensure you receive the best possible advantages from it. The time spent in planning enable you to find and repair any faults or shorts quickly and will assist with stock management. To make a basic plan, place a sheet of clear plastic over an aerial photograph of your property and draw in your old and planned fence lines. This will help you to pinpoint things you need to know before you start, such as:
AREA GUIDE
PADDOCK SIZE AND SHAPE Where possible a laneway down the center or side of the subdivision should be incorporated. This will assist with stock movement and access. The size of your paddocks is not as vitally important as the number of paddocks. Obviously both are relative to the size of your farm and the number and types of animals stocked. The number of paddocks is important so as to allow for intensive grazing, the "locking up" of hay and silage paddocks and the flexibility of longer rotations during times of feed shortage. Subdivision of hill country deserves careful planning. Wherever possible, fence lines should follow the contour of the land so that sunny slopes, shady slopes and flat land are all separate. This allows for better pasture management especially in areas prone to erosion. Strip grazing can also be incorporated to gain better pasture management. See FENCE CONSTRUCTION for more information on strip grazing. LAYOUT EXAMPLES The same principles should be applied on hill country or less favorably shaped farms. ENERGIZER LOCATION For large layouts, it may be necessary to use more than one energizer. It is often better to use two or three to supply separate circuits on your property. This simplifies your circuits, giving each energizer reserve power and makes fault finding easier. It also gives you a back-up if one "requires maintenance". Solar powered energizers are designed for remote areas without mains power. Position the unit near the center of the fence and away from animal contact or shadow. Face solar panels towards the equator at an angle that faces the sun. USING CUT OUT SWITCHES Stafix Cut Out Switches incorporate all stainless steel contacts plus strong UV-stabilized plastic bodies. The switches are clearly visible from a distance so you know if they are on or off. Some of the major benefits of using Stafix Cut Out Switches are:
WIRE AND POST SPACINGS The average height of the animal(s) being controlled. Ensure that they can neither walk under nor over any of the wires. The size of the animals head. Ensure that they can not push their head easily between any of the wires. The suggestions are based on flat land conditions. If the land you are fencing is hilly shorter post spacing will be required. These are recommendations only and the shape and contour of your farm together with your own farm management practices will dictate the final result. NOTE: The recommendations given below are For a Ground Earth Return System. If you are using the Fence Earth Return System then every alternate wire should be an earth wire. In some cases you may need to add an extra wire.
THE RIGHT ENERGIZER FOR YOU
It is also important to remember to allow some extra power capacity for future expansion of your electric fence system and to also overcome any excessive fence challenge such as increased vegetation growth. ENERGIZER PERFORMANCE The most accurate way to gauge the effectiveness of an energizer is by quoting the maximum output joules. This is the energy that is actually available to the fence line. As a guide: 1 joule (output) will power approximately 6 miles of single fence wire. Pulse Shape The shape of the pulse that is released by the energizer also influences the performance on the fence line. Stafix has developed a pulse which remains stable and maintains its pulse shape under all loads. This gives Stafix energizers a higher "shock factor". The pulse travels further down the fence line and more effectively overcomes loads. This technology is known as "Cyclic Wave™ technology". The "Cyclic Wave™" pulse emits minimal Radio Frequency Interference (RFI). Stafix energizers therefore, do not require a lot of RFI suppressors. This leaves more energy available to the fence line. Voltage Under Load As the loading on a fence line increases, the voltage decreases. Due to the effectiveness of the "Cyclic Wave™" pulse, it can react to heavy loadings on the fence line and maintain comparatively higher voltages. STAFIX MAINS ENERGIZERS WITH CYCLIC WAVE™ TECHNOLOGY Energizers are available for 230-240 volts and 110-120 volts. NOTE: Use acres listed as a guide only. The size of the energizer required will be determined by the length of fence and property conditions.
STAFIX BATTERY ENERGIZERS WITH CYCLIC
WAVE™ TECHNOLOGY STAFIX B12 - The largest battery energizer in the Stafix range and has a maximum energy output of 12 joules. The Stafix B12 is suitable tor farms up to 250 acres and will power up to 75 miles of wire. 12 volt input 750 mA - 1.7A (avg) current consumption. Open Circuit Voltage (up to) 8.5kV
STAFIX MAXI GRAZER - A portable fence unit which can run off either 6 'D' size flashlight batteries or a 12 volt wet cell battery. This unit is specifically designed for intensive grazing fences and will power up to 0.6 miles. SOLAR POWERED ENERGIZERS A solar panel draws energy from the sun and converts this energy into electricity which charges the battery. Consequently a solar powered system will require very little maintenance. Because the solar panel draws its energy from the sun, it requires regular amounts of direct sunlight. The panel will still produce energy on a cloudy day but cannot produce energy at night. Three to four hours of good sunlight per day is adequate to keep the battery fully charged. Solar Panels draw energy from the sun and convert this energy into electricity to recharge the battery. When choosing the solar panel that best matches the battery energizer, climatic conditions must be considered. This is due to peak sunlight hours varying during different times of the year. Solar panels are at their maximum effectiveness during peak sunlight hours. They do not supply a charge to the battery at night. The panel chosen must be able to provide Sufficient charge during the available peak sunlight hours to keep the battery charged for at least 24 hours. The average minimum sunlight hours vary greatly. Due to this variance, panels of different wattages are needed in different parts of the world. The chart below shows the recommended solar panels for the Stafix range of battery energizers. BATTERIES The battery must have sufficient capacity to compensate for cloudy days and at night when the solar panel produces minimal or no charge. The following chart shows the recommended batteries and solar panels for Stafix Battery Energizers. These recommendations are made with the energizers set on the 'Auto' function.
Energizer Recommended Battery Average minimum sunlight hours: |