Anybody any design ideas for a high-voltage generator for an electric fence
to deter (not kill - that's illegal in the UK) badgers from entering my
garden and digging up the lawns?

I've toyed with adapting either a boiler/gas oven ignition system or a car
ignition system ...? But I'm lost as to determining what would be safe and
how to measure the voltage (kV), current (mA) and energy (Joules) available.

Any ideas or experience welcome...
-Roy-
(Surrey, England)

"Roy Hammond" wrote in message
...
| Anybody any design ideas for a high-voltage generator for an electric
fence
| to deter (not kill - that's illegal in the UK) badgers from entering my
| garden and digging up the lawns?
|
| I've toyed with adapting either a boiler/gas oven ignition system or a car
| ignition system ...? But I'm lost as to determining what would be safe and
| how to measure the voltage (kV), current (mA) and energy (Joules)
available.

Try a Kemo Ion Generator kit. That'll be safe enough - you don't want some
kiddie getting zapped. Or how about flashing strobe lights when they cross a
light beam?

N

Last I checked, farming existed in all of the parts
of the UK, why not just buy a small fence charger?

They can be had for $50USD or so for a cheapy that will
easily do the job.

-Chuck Harris

Roy Hammond wrote:
Anybody any design ideas for a high-voltage generator for an electric fence
to deter (not kill - that's illegal in the UK) badgers from entering my
garden and digging up the lawns?

I've toyed with adapting either a boiler/gas oven ignition system or a car
ignition system ...? But I'm lost as to determining what would be safe and
how to measure the voltage (kV), current (mA) and energy (Joules) available.

Any ideas or experience welcome...
-Roy-
(Surrey, England)

"Chuck Harris" wrote in message
...
Last I checked, farming existed in all of the parts
of the UK, why not just buy a small fence charger?

They can be had for $50USD or so for a cheapy that will
easily do the job.

I once fixed a couple of them. They are a HV low current autotransformer. An
SRC is fired by way of the gate by a neon lamp, the other side of which is
connected to the AC line to drive the transformer primary. One was an AGWAY.

Dave M.

Roy Hammond wrote:
Anybody any design ideas for a high-voltage generator for an electric
fence
to deter (not kill - that's illegal in the UK) badgers from entering my
garden and digging up the lawns?

I've toyed with adapting either a boiler/gas oven ignition system or a
car
ignition system ...? But I'm lost as to determining what would be safe
and
how to measure the voltage (kV), current (mA) and energy (Joules)
available.

Any ideas or experience welcome...
-Roy-
(Surrey, England)

That's "SCR"

Dave M.


"Dave M." wrote in message
...

"Chuck Harris" wrote in message
...
Last I checked, farming existed in all of the parts
of the UK, why not just buy a small fence charger?

They can be had for $50USD or so for a cheapy that will
easily do the job.

I once fixed a couple of them. They are a HV low current autotransformer.
An
SRC is fired by way of the gate by a neon lamp, the other side of which is
connected to the AC line to drive the transformer primary. One was an
AGWAY.

Dave M.

Roy Hammond wrote:
Anybody any design ideas for a high-voltage generator for an electric
fence
to deter (not kill - that's illegal in the UK) badgers from entering
my
garden and digging up the lawns?

I've toyed with adapting either a boiler/gas oven ignition system or a
car
ignition system ...? But I'm lost as to determining what would be safe
and
how to measure the voltage (kV), current (mA) and energy (Joules)
available.

Any ideas or experience welcome...
-Roy-
(Surrey, England)

We use a fence charger to provide perimeter protection for our chicken
coop and have found a few sets of blackened paw prints in the morning.
It deters racoons and skunk with no problem. It also knocked me down
when I accidentally touched it. I put 3 rows of wires, one a few inches
off the ground to deter things that can dig, one up about 12 inches and
one up about 24 inches.


Roy Hammond wrote:
Anybody any design ideas for a high-voltage generator for an electric fence
to deter (not kill - that's illegal in the UK) badgers from entering my
garden and digging up the lawns?

I've toyed with adapting either a boiler/gas oven ignition system or a car
ignition system ...? But I'm lost as to determining what would be safe and
how to measure the voltage (kV), current (mA) and energy (Joules) available.

Any ideas or experience welcome...
-Roy-
(Surrey, England)

Mark Leininger wrote:
We use a fence charger to provide perimeter protection for our chicken
coop and have found a few sets of blackened paw prints in the morning.

Blackened? Be serious! If your fence charge can blacken anything, it is
seriously out of whack. They will kill weeds that are in contact with the
wire, but it takes hours of continuous contact to do this.

It deters racoons and skunk with no problem. It also knocked me down
when I accidentally touched it.

When my son asked about whether or not the electric fence was dangerous,
I told him to grab it and and he would see that it wasn't. He did, and
twitched a couple of times as the pulse went by, and then got bored and
let go. He decided that it wasn't all that bad.

You seem to have a tendency to exaggerate.

-Chuck Harris

I've never found blackened footprints, that was a joke.
It never knocked me down that was a figure of speech.
You seem to have a tendency to take things literally...


Chuck Harris wrote:
Mark Leininger wrote:

We use a fence charger to provide perimeter protection for our chicken
coop and have found a few sets of blackened paw prints in the morning.


Blackened? Be serious! If your fence charge can blacken anything, it is
seriously out of whack. They will kill weeds that are in contact with the
wire, but it takes hours of continuous contact to do this.

It deters racoons and skunk with no problem. It also knocked me down
when I accidentally touched it.


When my son asked about whether or not the electric fence was dangerous,
I told him to grab it and and he would see that it wasn't. He did, and
twitched a couple of times as the pulse went by, and then got bored and
let go. He decided that it wasn't all that bad.

You seem to have a tendency to exaggerate.

-Chuck Harris

Hi Mark,

Well, how else can I take what you write? There are
no smiley's to indicate an attempt at humor. Your words
said that you found blackened paw prints. I know that
blackened paw prints aren't a possible outcome of touching
an electrified farm fence, but then I live on a farm.
Some city folk who don't know any better will probably
take your words literally.... and the next thing you know,
all farmers will have to register their electric fences
with the local police ;-)

-Chuck Harris

Mark Leininger wrote:
I've never found blackened footprints, that was a joke.
It never knocked me down that was a figure of speech.
You seem to have a tendency to take things literally...


Chuck Harris wrote:

Mark Leininger wrote:

We use a fence charger to provide perimeter protection for our
chicken coop and have found a few sets of blackened paw prints in the
morning.

I like the simple approach - neon, SCR and transformer. But what transformer
would be sufficient but also safe?
Such electric fences are available here in the UK but unfortunately not for
the equivalent of $50 - more like $150!
--
-Roy-
(Surrey, England)
"Dave M." wrote in message
...

"Chuck Harris" wrote in message
...
Last I checked, farming existed in all of the parts
of the UK, why not just buy a small fence charger?

They can be had for $50USD or so for a cheapy that will
easily do the job.

I once fixed a couple of them. They are a HV low current autotransformer.
An
SRC is fired by way of the gate by a neon lamp, the other side of which is
connected to the AC line to drive the transformer primary. One was an
AGWAY.

Dave M.

Roy Hammond wrote:
Anybody any design ideas for a high-voltage generator for an electric
fence
to deter (not kill - that's illegal in the UK) badgers from entering
my
garden and digging up the lawns?

I've toyed with adapting either a boiler/gas oven ignition system or a
car
ignition system ...? But I'm lost as to determining what would be safe
and
how to measure the voltage (kV), current (mA) and energy (Joules)
available.

Any ideas or experience welcome...
-Roy-
(Surrey, England)

I could go to the local farm supply, and mail you one for
less than $150! The only rub would be ours run on 120V, though
you can also get solar powered and battery powered fence chargers.

The usual fence charger puts out a pulse every second. The voltage is
probably 10Kv, judging by how far it arcs. The current is very tiny.

Back in the days of yore, the charger was a car ignition coil, and
the pulse timer was a pendulum. The power source was a battery. If
I were going to make one, I would use an old car ignition coil, and
a CMOS 555 timer to key an HV FET. A 6V lantern battery would easily last
a whole season.

-Chuck Harris

Roy Hammond wrote:
I like the simple approach - neon, SCR and transformer. But what transformer
would be sufficient but also safe?
Such electric fences are available here in the UK but unfortunately not for
the equivalent of $50 - more like $150!

"Roy Hammond" wrote in message
...
| I like the simple approach - neon, SCR and transformer. But what
transformer
| would be sufficient but also safe?

A flyback transformer out of a junked TV. Run it off 6 VDC - it'll be safer
than 230. Look on the web for tesla coil designs.

N

"Chuck Harris" wrote in message
...
| Mark Leininger wrote:
| We use a fence charger to provide perimeter protection for our chicken
| coop and have found a few sets of blackened paw prints in the morning.
|
| Blackened? Be serious! If your fence charge can blacken anything, it is
| seriously out of whack. They will kill weeds that are in contact with the
| wire, but it takes hours of continuous contact to do this.

Avoid ****ing on it in that case!

N

NSM wrote:
"Roy Hammond" wrote in message
...
| I like the simple approach - neon, SCR and transformer. But what
transformer
| would be sufficient but also safe?

A flyback transformer out of a junked TV. Run it off 6 VDC - it'll be safer
than 230. Look on the web for tesla coil designs.

A car ignition coil has the advantage of being hermetically sealed.

-Chuck

"Chuck Harris" wrote in message
...
| NSM wrote:
| "Roy Hammond" wrote in message
| ...
| | I like the simple approach - neon, SCR and transformer. But what
| transformer
| | would be sufficient but also safe?
|
| A flyback transformer out of a junked TV. Run it off 6 VDC - it'll be
safer
| than 230. Look on the web for tesla coil designs.
|
| A car ignition coil has the advantage of being hermetically sealed.

They will give you a jolt though. Use a length of spark suppressor lead to
limit the current somewhat. One of my primary school teachers had the whole
class join hands then one kid touched the car's ground and another a spark
plug. Felt like someone shoved a broom handle through my arms.

N

One of my primary school teachers had the whole
class join hands then one kid touched the car's ground and another a spark
plug. Felt like someone shoved a broom handle through my arms.


You mean in the States, Teachers can still do that stuff?

Here in the UK they get accused of child abuse for putting a Band-Aid on a
cut!

I have memories of being wired to Wimsurst and Van-de-Graff machines by my
sadistic Science teacher.

Happy days.

Graham.

%Profound_observation%

"Graham" wrote in message
...
| One of my primary school teachers had the whole
| class join hands then one kid touched the car's ground and another a
spark
| plug. Felt like someone shoved a broom handle through my arms.
|
| You mean in the States, Teachers can still do that stuff?

In New Zealand in 1950.

| Here in the UK they get accused of child abuse for putting a Band-Aid on a
| cut!
|
| I have memories of being wired to Wimsurst and Van-de-Graff machines by my
| sadistic Science teacher.

Times change.

N

Straight on,Gov!! Used to have the "city cousins" do that to teach them the
ins and outs of farming!! BTW that was before we pointed them to that stack
behind the barn where all the "Magic Mushrooms" grew. I can't tell you how
many times the came tracing back into my dad's home with the aroma and
evidence of delving into the old "Poop Pile" in search of a fungi that will
produce mind altering effects!! Needless to say, the appropriate
application of corrective actions by their respective parents proved to be
more mind altering that the mushrooms they actually found. LOL
However: I do like the automotive ignition approach remembering the "Model
T SparkCoil" experiments that we endured when in school and at home.
Flippin wonder they finally did away with "shock treatment" for the
mindless, Eh.. Cheers, hopefully one of these applications prove
applicable for your pest problem. Maybe a couple pints of good Irish
Liquor will also suffice after trying, Eh??
"NSM" wrote in message news:66%cd.32404$qU.29719@clgrps13...

"Chuck Harris" wrote in message
...
| Mark Leininger wrote:
| We use a fence charger to provide perimeter protection for our chicken
| coop and have found a few sets of blackened paw prints in the morning.
|
| Blackened? Be serious! If your fence charge can blacken anything, it
is
| seriously out of whack. They will kill weeds that are in contact with
the
| wire, but it takes hours of continuous contact to do this.

Avoid ****ing on it in that case!

N

Thanks guys. Food for thought - and action! Will let you know what happens!
-Roy-
(Surrey, England)
"Art" wrote in message
...
Straight on,Gov!! Used to have the "city cousins" do that to teach them
the
ins and outs of farming!! BTW that was before we pointed them to that
stack
behind the barn where all the "Magic Mushrooms" grew. I can't tell you how
many times the came tracing back into my dad's home with the aroma and
evidence of delving into the old "Poop Pile" in search of a fungi that
will
produce mind altering effects!! Needless to say, the appropriate
application of corrective actions by their respective parents proved to be
more mind altering that the mushrooms they actually found. LOL
However: I do like the automotive ignition approach remembering the
"Model
T SparkCoil" experiments that we endured when in school and at home.
Flippin wonder they finally did away with "shock treatment" for the
mindless, Eh.. Cheers, hopefully one of these applications prove
applicable for your pest problem. Maybe a couple pints of good Irish
Liquor will also suffice after trying, Eh??
"NSM" wrote in message
news:66%cd.32404$qU.29719@clgrps13...

"Chuck Harris" wrote in message
...
| Mark Leininger wrote:
| We use a fence charger to provide perimeter protection for our
chicken
| coop and have found a few sets of blackened paw prints in the
morning.
|
| Blackened? Be serious! If your fence charge can blacken anything, it
is
| seriously out of whack. They will kill weeds that are in contact with
the
| wire, but it takes hours of continuous contact to do this.

Avoid ****ing on it in that case!

N