# Is There Some Special Trick to Electric Tape Vs. Wire?



## CrufflerSteve (Sep 17, 2007)

(I'm not sure if this is the right forum for this but my pastures are right next to my barn.)

When my wife and I got horses some years ago we had a bit over 5 acres with 3 pastures. I built a roomy paddock area for them but when we let them out in the fields they really started bending the fence to get to the better grass outside.

The place had had an electric fence so I redid it with electric wire and a run along the top of all the fences. With 5 strands of smooth wire below and that on top it worked well. The wire also carried the voltage well. The deer would break it but it wasn't hard to fix and keep operational.

We now have mini horses and I'd like to let them out in the pastures but I'm afraid they could get through smooth wire since they're small. I could have gotten a mesh fence but decided to redo the electric fence with the 1/2" tape to make it more visible.

I got one short run working fine. The next run is 100 yards and there is no current by the end of it. I checked all the insulated supports and they seem okay. I can hear a snapping sound in the wire in a few places. Is tape prone to breaks? I only moderately hand tightened it in place. I spent hours checking the run and there were no shorts. Checking the ground I just about knocked myself out so it seems correct but the 100 yard run dissipates the power. The weather is dry and when I used wire I had good voltage on over 1500 yards.

Am I missing something?

Steve


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## crimsonsky (Feb 18, 2011)

in my experience, if you hearing a snapping sound it's because the fence is shorting out at that spot for whatever reason (could be touching something/grounding out/etc). i'd start there and see what you can find. also - do you have a strong enough fence charger for the type and length of fence you're trying to electrify? 

that's my two cents. hope that helps some.


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## CrufflerSteve (Sep 17, 2007)

crimsonsky said:


> in my experience, if you hearing a snapping sound it's because the fence is shorting out at that spot for whatever reason (could be touching something/grounding out/etc). i'd start there and see what you can find. also - do you have a strong enough fence charger for the type and length of fence you're trying to electrify?
> 
> that's my two cents. hope that helps some.


What really took me aback was that the snapping was happening in midair, well between two posts with no plants close and not that close to the ground.. The charger had been used before with over 1500 yards of electrical wire and had over 6000 volts at the furthest from the charger. My new test piece is about 150 yards long. I still have a spool of the wire and I might replace the tape with it and try to mark it better. From where the sound is happening, it is almost like there are small breaks in the wire and it is jumping the breaks.

Steve


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## crimsonsky (Feb 18, 2011)

hum... maybe that is it. perhaps there was something that happened in the manufacture of the tape and it is missing some of the filaments there? electric fence can be both wonderful and all out frustrating. 

good luck!


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## starlinestables (Nov 24, 2008)

Here's a good link! 21 Mistakes to Avoid With Electric Fencing


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