# poly tape fencing



## carolb4 (Nov 2, 2009)

I need help with testing my poly tape fence for continuity and voltage. I have a simple fence tester with the little bulb and two probes. I also have a multimeter with two probes. 
I do not understand where to put the probes on the tape with either tester. I can't see the bulb light up in day light. 
I don't know which input to use on the multimeter. 

Please advise. A demonstration would be great.


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## nrhareiner (Jan 11, 2009)

carolb4 said:


> I need help with testing my poly tape fence for continuity and voltage. I have a simple fence tester with the little bulb and two probes. I also have a multimeter with two probes.
> I do not understand where to put the probes on the tape with either tester. I can't see the bulb light up in day light.
> I don't know which input to use on the multimeter.
> 
> Please advise. A demonstration would be great.


With the Polly tape you will need to make sure you are hitting the wire woven into the tape. Not a big area at all on most of the tape.

With the tape tester you just need to stick the wire part of the test into the ground and touch the unit to one of the wires. The bulb should go on and off in a pulse fashion.

A multi tester you can use in several different ways. One is in the same manner as the tape tester this will give you the voltage. Since your fence box is normally a 12v unit you will need to set your tester so that it will read that low of a voltage. Then put the black prob into the ground or metal fence post and the positive end onto the metal wire in the tape.

As for a continuity test that is a lot harder with the polly tape as you need to hit the exat same wire on both ends. Then even if you do it will only the continuity for THAT wire.

Hope that helps.


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## shortbusgeek (Oct 23, 2009)

Another option that you can use is the back of the hand test. Make sure you're wearing rubber soled shoes and just touch the fence with the back of your hand. It should give you a small little buzz, but nothing major. (Unless your fence charger is malfunctioning.) The above post is correct in testing procedures, with the exception of when using a multimeter you'll probably need to select DC voltage for the test. The way the fence charger works is that the positive terminal goes out to your poly tape, while the negative terminal goes to the ground via 1, 2 or 3 ground rods. When something (such as a horse) touches the wire and the ground at the same time, it completes the circuit, providing a small jolt.


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## back in the crosby again (Feb 4, 2009)

I have tried several different voltage testers without too much consistency. So now I just use the zap yourself test. Like shortbusgeek said if you are wearing rubber soled shoes then you will only get a small buzz which is much less then what your horse will get. But don't test the fence this way when filling the water trough, I speak from experience unfortunately.


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