Electric Fence Charger Help

[nc_mtn]

I've got a Gallagher M150 charger that's a few years old. I've not used it for almost 2 summers now. I've just built a new fence and hooked up the charger. I'm not sure it's working properly. When I plugged it in without any wires hooked up, the red indicator light flashed. There is another (I think green) light on the left side that didn't flash. I then hooked it up to both the hot fence line and then to 2 grounding rods (15 ft apart). Neither light is working. I could touch the "hot" fence wire a few feet from the charger and it still wouldn't shock me. The only way I could get a shock was when I touched both the ground wire and the hot at the same time.

I'm still thinking my charger isn't working properly. I know that if the ground was super dry or I was at the end of the fence line then perhaps it could be the fence but I've tested just a small area with some scrap wire and I still can't get it to work. It's been a while since I've used this charger but I think the other light is supposed to be on when it's working. I looked up the owners manual online and it said "Fence OK Indicator (M150 model only)
Your Energizer is powering your fence line. The fence OK indicator will flash with every Energizer pulse. This indicator will stop fl ashing if the fence is overloaded." If no lights are flashing when the wires are working then it's the charger right?

Thanks

[nc_mtn]

So it turns out that the red light indicates it's working. When I'm grounded out, the light doesn't work. I'm not sure what the other light is for or when it comes on.
It only took 400 times walking the fence line before I found where the wire was touching the fence post. I had put a couple of t-post facing out so I had to put the insulators on the side. Apparently one was rubbing just a little. Guess it would have been worth the little extra to get the backwards t-post insulators.

[Murramarang]

Getting the best performance out of my electric fence is like a dance for me....I work on the style a lot to get the best out of it...but get let down a lot by insulators, grounding etc etc.

Good luck with your dance

[agmantoo]

A Stafix fence compass is a great tool to have when it comes to trouble shooting fence issues. I consider it a necessity for anyone with electric fencing.

[Awnry Abe]

Like agman sez, a tester is very valuable. However, I often find myself out wondering. "If the fence is working" when I don't have my toolbox. A blade do green grass works as a nice make-shift tester. You'll get a tickle, but not a jolt.

[fordy]

.............A regular old metal Compass held close to the positive wire should work as well ! , fordy

[Murramarang]

Wow...that fence compass is so expensive

I have one of those one with pulse lights that you ground...and it works great (best at night....which seems a strange time to do fence testing...but you can see sparking from a long way off in the dark!)

Gaz

[popscott]

Insulated handle screwdriver, metal shaft from post to hot wire. Leave a small gap between screwdriver end and wire; make sure you have a good connection on the side of the post. You'll be able to determine "snap" power in that gap as time goes along. NO, shorting it out completely with the screw driver will not burn anything up. It works great on regular wire, never used it on tape fencing.

Please do not forget the lightning arrestor.

Another tip... if you have several lots that can be separated for pasture rotation....or if you want to just section different parts of the same fence run….. Separate the wiring within each section and connect each section together with a single wire (between each) that can be removed/inserted for help in troubleshooting. These old bones appreciate that ability to isolate the problem down to a certain section.

[Jennifer L.]

http://www.gallagherusa.com/electric...downloads.aspx

Check on there for the manual to your fencer.

[nc_mtn]

All seems to be working. The goats test it often but are slowly respecting it