fence wire, I think I have a new type of electric

[Spotted Owl]

Been doing alot of reading and learning since I got here. I have seen this yet so I thought that I would ask.

Reading the kencove site, building fence for family, friends and neighbors, I know how to build a fence. My question is this, 6 strand electric, the electric likes and follows the path of least resistance right? Everyone has always said and I have read that the bigger the wire the less ohms/resistance. How would 5/16 stranded galvanized guy wire work? I have a friend that works at a local utility and they are no longer using guy wire this size, so I have the opportunity to get ahold of up to 15,000 feet of this stuff either free or for dirt cheap. Along with it comes the supplies to make ends, splices, and what ever else may need to be done with this wire.

I have 10' X 6" galv pipe for posts set 5' with 3' of concrete in the bottom the rest packed dirt and rock these are solid. They are braced with 3" galv lazy braces bolted on at 4' off ground level and sunk 2.5' to 3' concreted in the ground.

My equipment is up to the task if the guy wire is as good as I think it should be.

In your opinions how would this work.

Thanks.

 

[mountainranch]

S O
Yes, the heavier wire would have less resistance but probably not enough to make a lot of difference. A good lo impedance high energy fence charger will supply more than enough current on regular hi tensile wire. If you can get the wire cheaper than hi tensile though, it might be worth using. Dont know how you could adjust the tension like you can with hi tensile adjusters.

 

[dun]

How about availability of insulators?

dun

 

[dcara]

Here are my comments

First, be careful welding galvanized posts as the gas/smoke from the zinc coating is very toxic. That said, galvanized posts can make good ground rods but must have good contact directly to the ground, not through concrete.

Second, the lower resistance due to the larger wire is not much of an issue due to something called source impedance; and, the ratio of the wire impedance to both the source and load impedances. In this application even cutting the wire resistance by 10 times would only increase the energy delivered to the animal (or other load) by an insignificant amount.

Third, same as what mntr and dun said

 

[Spotted Owl]

Dont know how you could adjust the tension like you can with hi tensile adjusters.

I would have to think on that for a bit. I would imagine that the tension needed to keep it from belly draggin in the summer, would pull out even the 6" corners in the winter over time. Our temps range from 110* to 8*. I'm told this stuff is 750#'s per each 5000' spool what ever that breaks down to for pound(s) per foot.

How about availability of insulators?
dun

They would have to be drilled and bolted but they are avalible.



Other than the tensioning I would have everything to make this work. Tension is a big issue though. I suppose I hopeing to get a super strong fence for next for next to nothing but if it can't be pulled or let out it would wind up more hassel than it's worth.

I think I'm gonna try and figure out how to tension this stuff. I need one more thing to think about while workin everything else.

Thanks

Owl

 

[dun]

A number of feedlots around here use 1/2 stranded wire for their pens. The ones I've seen use a heavy spring at each end of the wire and a post that hte wire isn;t fastened to, just a sliding eye kind of deal, about every 50-75 feet. They aren;t hot but they sure are stout

dun

 

[Angus In Texas]

I have seen many people using 5/16" and up stranded wire for fencing and although it's not hot it works great. I would actually like to get a hold of some to use sometime, preferably stainless but it is so dang expensive. The way to tension would be to use an inline turnbuckle along with a spring on each end like dun said.

 

[novatech]

Sell it on Ebay and go with the standard stuff.

Or if you just have to use it. You can use water hose for insulators and turnbuckels for tension. Springs are great if you can find them. Or just put up 1 conventional hot wire in the middle. Run the cable non-insulated.

 

[dcara]

A number of feedlots around here use 1/2 stranded wire for their pens. The ones I've seen use a heavy spring at each end of the wire and a post that hte wire isn;t fastened to, just a sliding eye kind of deal, about every 50-75 feet. They aren;t hot but they sure are stout

A guy told me once he had a pipe and cable fence with the heavy springs keeping tension on the cable. He came home one day and one of the horses had somehow got its hoof caught between the 1st and 2nd wire in such a way that the hoof was ontop of the 2nd wire and the bottom wire was ontop of the hoof. Said it was so tight he had to cut the cable to get the horse free. The horse lost the hoof after a few weeks and died not long after that.

Becasue of that story I use only turnbuckles now.