# Problems with solar fence charger (cross post)



## Zilli (Apr 1, 2012)

Ok......a little back story first: I live in Washington State (get that out of the way first), with all its grey, wet days that it's famous for.

Years ago, I bought a solar fence charger not too long after they first came on the market. They were advertised as being able to hold a charge even after thirty days of totally cloudy weather.

I found that to not be true - it did not hold a charge during our winter months, even with those occasional not-so-cloudy days.

Fast forward twenty years or so and I was needing to put up some electric fencing in a spot that would be tough to use a charger that is powered by the house's electric. So, I needed something that I could use "remotely" and I started looking again at solar chargers. Since so many years had passed, I figured that maybe the kinks had been ironed out and decided to try it again.

I bought one at my local feed store (which is a Tractor Supply but called something different here). I think I paid around $120.00 for it.

We set it up according to instructions and in a spot where it gets great southern exposure. And we had a wonderful fall, with lots and lots of sun, and I wasn't too concerned about the charger - in fact, I barely gave it a thought.

So, for several months......no problems. My goats are all electric fence savvy and do just fine behind a two strand hot wire - as long as it works.

In the last couple of weeks, they've been getting out; I have watched them walk right through and under the wire as if it's not even there.

I have gone down there several times, looking for problem spots where the wire might have been grounded out, and after correcting a few possible things, there is still NO zap. None.

So, yesterday I bought a charger specifically meant to re-charge these solar batteries in the house. The two long-time employees at the feed store didn't have a clue about any of it (in fact, one of them was trying to sell me a whole new battery). And I have lost my paperwork for the charger itself.

I'm wondering if anyone here has any experience with re-charging these batteries. As in, how often am I going to have to do this? I'm also wondering if it might not be a good idea to buy a second battery so that I can alternate them, having one ready and charged at all times.

And, just an FYI - the reason I don't put other fencing (such as field fencing) along that fence line is because the ground is very uneven there, and in fact, gets quite steep in places. I still haven't ruled it out but was just hoping, since my goats do respect electric fencing, that it wouldn't be necessary.

Anyway, I'm just hoping that someone can reassure me that I'm not going to be having to do this every other day because that would be a great big pain in the patooty.


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## Bret (Oct 3, 2003)

Chargers don't lie or bluff. Can you disconnect your charger from the field and test it at the charger? I have been known to touch the charger directly with a finger...but I don't like to. Rubber boots make it less of a pain in the patooty. If the charger is working by itself, somthing is shorting it and you will know it when you see it.


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## Zilli (Apr 1, 2012)

Bret said:


> Chargers don't lie or bluff. Can you disconnect your charger from the field and test it at the charger? I have been known to touch the charger directly with a finger...but I don't like to. Rubber boots make it less of a pain in the patooty. If the charger is working by itself, somthing is shorting it and you will know it when you see it.


Do you mean disconnect the wire that runs to the fence? And would I leave the ground connected?

For what it's worth, when I have it on, you can barely hear it clicking. I have to put my ear right up next to the charger to even hear it.

I have gone over the fence line several times and I just do not see where anything is touching the wire. Plus, my other chargers that I have up here at the house to take care of the fencing closest to the house, when they're shorting out, you can tell where the short is because it snaps and you can see the spark; that hasn't been the case at all with the fence that I have the solar charger on.

I really would prefer to not touch the charger itself - rubber boots or not.


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## Nancy_in_GA (Oct 20, 2004)

Get an electric fence tester. This is the one I have. It's a bit pricey, but worth it. I've had it for 6 years and never even had to replace the battery yet. It helps in finding shorts also.


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## Zilli (Apr 1, 2012)

Nancy_in_GA said:


> Get an electric fence tester. This is the one I have. It's a bit pricey, but worth it. I've had it for 6 years and never even had to replace the battery yet. It helps in finding shorts also.


I have one of those cheesy little ones that you set the hooked end on the wire and you touch the other end to a metal t-post.

I misplaced it the other day and was going to buy another one yesterday, thinking they were still around a couple of bucks, and it was $6.00!!!! So, I passed; I'd rather spend the money on something better so I will look around for something like the one you posted.


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## Bret (Oct 3, 2003)

Zilli said:


> Do you mean disconnect the wire that runs to the fence? And would I leave the ground connected?
> 
> For what it's worth, when I have it on, you can barely hear it clicking. I have to put my ear right up next to the charger to even hear it.
> 
> ...


Yes. Disconnect from the fence but leave the ground on. Any tester will work. In the field...a long blade of grass will work. You can feel a little tickle through the grass and the less distance between the grass and fingers, the greater the tickle. I don't like that either.

Look for two wires touching. Deer can flip them together.

Look for too much grass on the wire. Grass and rain short even more.

Look for broken insulators, hot wire touching any t-posts, hot wire on steel corner posts, hot wire on cattle panels that get pushed into hot wires, small sapplings that grow into hot wires. Look for a detached ground wire. 

I feel that ifi the fence charger is working and you have nothing in the field you have a pretty direct short somewhere and you will find it.


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## Bret (Oct 3, 2003)

The insullation on my Dare testers always falls apart. They work for a while.


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## Zilli (Apr 1, 2012)

Bret said:


> Yes. Disconnect from the fence but leave the ground on. Any tester will work. In the field...a long blade of grass will work. You can feel a little tickle through the grass and the less distance between the grass and fingers, the greater the tickle. I don't like that either.


Oh, I've done the grass thing. THAT I can do!

The idea of touching directly with my bare hand, though...........


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## Bret (Oct 3, 2003)

Don't grab it...just brush past it. It doesn't startle as much when you know it's coming and you don't feel like an idiot.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> *Don't grab it*...just brush past it.


I use the BACK of one finger


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Find a cat.


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## Zilli (Apr 1, 2012)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> Find a cat.


No.............

If anything, I'll let the culprits themselves (goats) follow me down there and let one of them test it for me!

Actually, I found my little DARE tester so I will use that......or a blade of grass.


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## Zilli (Apr 1, 2012)

Ok, I decided to jump the gun a little and I just took the battery down and put it back into the fence charger.

I am getting a much louder clicking sound that I was but I'm still not getting anything showing up on my tester, nor did I feel the tingle through a blade of grass.

I walked the fence line again and still am not finding a problem there.

So.....tomorrow I'm going to disconnect the fence charger and bring it up here and hook it up to the electric fence that's closer to the house and that I have a regular electric charger hooked to now and that I know works and see what happens.

If it works up here, then there's something down below that's the problem and I will have to look at the fence line AGAIN. (Grrrr......)

I will definitely go with two more grounding rods.

If that still doesn't do the trick, then I will have to re-think my fencing options for that stretch of property. 

*Sigh*


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## Ford Zoo (Jan 27, 2012)

How dry is your ground (dirt) right now? I had problems keeping the pigs in when it got too dry this year. Another thought is-maybe the switch in the fencer is going bad and not making a good "on" connection-those are about $2 and easy to replace on some brands.

What kind of fencer is it? I love my Zareba 10 miler, but the Zareba 3 miler was junk after a short time.


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## Zilli (Apr 1, 2012)

Ford Zoo said:


> How dry is your ground (dirt) right now? I had problems keeping the pigs in when it got too dry this year. Another thought is-maybe the switch in the fencer is going bad and not making a good "on" connection-those are about $2 and easy to replace on some brands.
> 
> What kind of fencer is it? I love my Zareba 10 miler, but the Zareba 3 miler was junk after a short time.


We had a beautiful late summer and early fall, but once the rain started around the middle of October, it has been _very_ wet.

Where is the switch? Are you talking about the on/off switch on the bottom of the charger?


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## Ford Zoo (Jan 27, 2012)

Zilli said:


> Where is the switch? Are you talking about the on/off switch on the bottom of the charger?


Yes, the on/off switch on several brands can easily be replaced. Just take the housing off, find the switch, then take it to the hardware store to match it with a new one. I think they are pretty much universal in most brands.


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## Zilli (Apr 1, 2012)

Ford Zoo said:


> Yes, the on/off switch on several brands can easily be replaced. Just take the housing off, find the switch, then take it to the hardware store to match it with a new one. I think they are pretty much universal in most brands.


Ok. Thanks. I'll check into that possibility, although when I put the battery back in today and flipped the switch, I heard the clicking sound.


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## iloveafarmer (Feb 23, 2008)

We live in WA also, and have found much better luck in remote places with the chargers you plug into a car battery. Where we live we are socked in with fog for about 9 months of the year so solar just isn't an option. We had a light duty 3 mile fencer at first for the sheep and goats and our fence isn't even close to that big but it barely had any spark to it, it was just annoying and not deterring anyone from touching it. We replaced it with the only other fencer we had, a 25 miler, and NOBODY touches it after the first time. Except me, I must be a little slow  It's not even accidental. If I hear the electromesh fence shorting/clicking I can fix it without touching and hot wires, but then it's silent. I figure the best way to test it is to test it, through my sleeve, and boy it's hot!


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## Ford Zoo (Jan 27, 2012)

I hope it keeps clicking for you. Did you check the manufacturer's website to see if they have a trouble shooting guide?


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## Cannon_Farms (Aug 28, 2008)

Sorry i cant read the whole thread but the zaebra solar fence chargers are suckie gallagers are better. Hated selling those at t


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## Shayanna (Aug 1, 2012)

How many and how deep are your grounding rods? Take the hose and let the water run over the ground where they are pounded in till the ground is nice and soaked. That will help you get a better jolt. We have three grounding rods.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

Did you try the tester on the CHARGER by itself? (disconnected from the fence)


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## Zilli (Apr 1, 2012)

Ok......I meant to get back here for an update yesterday and spaced it.

Anyway, I think it's working.

I went down there yesterday morning and checked the light on the fence charger. There is a good, strong, blinking signal.

I watched the goats when they were down there yesterday and I actually didn't see them go anywhere near the fence, although I'm not sure if that was because they just weren't interested in anything on the other side at that particular time or if they knew the fence was hot.

I still can't feel anything through a blade of grass (could that be because of my rubber boots?) and I can't get a signal with my tester (but I think there's a possibility it may be defective).

We're entering into a very wet weather pattern so it's unlikely that the goats will get that far from their shelter (because, you know, rain _hurts_ if you're a goat ), so I'm probably not going to have to worry too much for a while about them testing the fence. But I'm wondering how often I should bring that battery in for recharging without having to wait until the goats are out for me to know it's time?

BFF: How would I test the battery with my fence tester? I have one of these:

Dare Products Inc 460 Electric Fence Tester

The battery has the connections that plug into the fence charger but I'm not sure how I would get that tester over the positive connection thing.

Shayanna: wet ground should not be a problem. We've had a tremendous amount of rain since the middle of October (I think something like 15 inches).

I will also be adding two more ground rods over the next week or so - after I have an opportunity to go to town.

Anyway, thanks for all the help and suggestions.


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## Zilli (Apr 1, 2012)

Cannon_Farms said:


> Sorry i cant read the whole thread but the zaebra solar fence chargers are suckie gallagers are better. Hated selling those at t


"Suckie gallagers?" LOL

If this thing stops working altogether, or continues to be a pain in the butt, I will have to rethink my fencing options for that part of my property.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

There is a punctuation issue in the quoted material. 

Very similar to this one.

Let's eat Granma.
Let's eat, Granma.


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## Zilli (Apr 1, 2012)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> There is a punctuation issue in the quoted material.
> 
> Very similar to this one.
> 
> ...


:smack

LOL It still took my going back and re-reading that several more times before I understood what you were getting at. 

I thought "suckie gallagers" was some specific slang term for something that, well, sucks.

I didn't realize that "Gallagher" was a brand name for a solar fence charger:

Gallagher S17 Solar Fencer Gallagher (Electric Fencing - Chargers)

ound::hysterical:


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## Shayanna (Aug 1, 2012)

Zilli said:


> :smack
> 
> LOL It still took my going back and re-reading that several more times before I understood what you were getting at.
> 
> ...



:rotfl: now my coworkers are wondering why I am crying at my desk.


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## Zilli (Apr 1, 2012)

Shayanna said:


> :rotfl: now my coworkers are wondering why I am crying at my desk.



Hey! This getting old is a real suckie gallager! :whistlin:


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## Cannon_Farms (Aug 28, 2008)

Sorry i was on my phone but i do have issues with grammer there should have been a , between thr 2. 3 ground rods are highly important for it to work. Don't woss out they dont put out a huge shock just touch i


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

Thanks you all for making me laugh!


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## Zilli (Apr 1, 2012)

Cannon_Farms said:


> Sorry i was on my phone but i do have issues with grammer


LOL

That's ok. I think most people would have "gotten it," but I find myself having more and more of these "senior moments."

The other day, the girl was here helping me with hoof trims and some of the cats were running around out there. She asked me what the name of one of them was, and for the LIFE of me, I could not remember his name.

I even texted my son and asked him, "What is Butterfly's brother's name?"

He texted me back with the name, but because he spelled it wrong, I _still_ didn't get it (the sun was creating a glare on my cell phone screen, though - at least that's my story and I'm sticking to it).

Scares me a little, actually.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> BFF: How would I test the battery with my fence tester?


Same as teasting the fence, but you disconnect the fence and use the posts on the charger instead.

The bad part though is your tester doesn't tell you the *voltage,* but only that it works or not.

It's best to have one with multiple lights, or a gauge so you can take voltage readings at various places on the fence.


Either of these would be much better, even though they cost more:
ZarebaÂ® Digital Electric Fence Tester - 3600134 | Tractor Supply Company




> Combines digital accuracy with ease and convenience
> Rugged easy-to-carry pocket-size case made of heavy duty ABS plastic
> Digital accuracy *from 500 to 9,900 volts*
> Large easy-to-ready LCD display
> ...



Electric Fence Line Tester | QC Supply


> This ZarebaÂ® Eight-Light Voltage Electric Fence Line Tester uses neon lights to indicate voltage levels from* 600 to 7,000 volts* on fencers and electric fence line. This Electric Fence Voltage Tester is easy to operate and can be used with any of our electric fence controllers to test the fencing.


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## Cannon_Farms (Aug 28, 2008)

ok, now that I have time to read the thread, I personally think it would be wise to invest into the solar charger panel and use a deep cycle marine battery. Granted you can use one of those small solar chargers to recharge that little battery but its not going to last. 
You do need to let those batteries charge for 24 hours before using them, and if the solar panels are not an affordable option, or gets too complicated then yes, get another battery and swap them out after several cloudy days. 

I am not a fan of the solar chargers period, I used underground wire to run mine the distance when an extension cord wouldn't do.

My old E-fence put out 9,500 vt imagine touching that by accident while your 9 months pregnant, the poor kid bounced all day but was perfectly fine.


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