Lightening Diverters

[ga.prime]

Anybody use them on their electric fences? I was advised by Gallagher to install after I sent them two chargers for repair.

 

[Aaron]

I use the Gallagher ones. Probably about the best out there. Most of the real cheap ones (DARE comes to mind) are junk.

After lightning blew out my main charger two years ago for the bull pen, and left me with less than an hour to buy a new one before a long weekend, I have more respect for lightning diverters. Attach them on the line from the energizer (a few hundred feet away from it) with their own ground rod.

 

[ga.prime]

Thanks, Aaron. The DARE diverters are $12 and the Gallagher diverters are $21.

 

[Aaron]

Sometimes you can buy them off Ebay for about 1/2 the price. :cowboy:

 

[SRBeef]

I had a similar experience with lightning destroying 2 Gallagher chargers within their warranty period. To their credit they replaced both under their lightning warranty.

However on the suggestion of someone here (and I apologize because I can't remember who that was) I installed several of these lightning chokes as Aaron describes and have not lost one since (probably will today after saying that!)

http://www.premier1supplies.com/detail.php?prod_id=591&cat_id=44

These are very inexpensive but make sure you ground them properly and that the choke ground rod is separate and far enough away from your fencer ground rods.

Also one of my Gallaghers was destroyed by a lightning induced surge coming in on the 120 volt line. Really fried it. Make sure you use a simple protector like this Premier one on the 120 volt power outlet also.

http://www.premier1supplies.com/detail.php?prod_id=20146&cat_id=44

Information like this is one of the real benefits of this site and I will pass it on.

Good luck. Jim

 

[ga.prime]

Also one of my Gallaghers was destroyed by a lightning induced surge coming in on the 120 volt line. Really fried it. Make sure you use a simple protector like this Premier one on the 120 volt power outlet also.

Good advice. Gallagher also advised me to install the surge protector. I think one of my chargers suffered the same fate as yours because the 20 amp breaker at the fuse box was also thrown.

 

[john250]

I have used a lot of lightning damage control products. Success is decidedly variable. Most "killer" hits come in on the AC line, for me. I've used the surge protectors and a hot strike will run right through them. I just figure I'm going to lose a fencer from time to time. Last year was bad. I lost three, two so badly damaged the cases were blown apart. Before that, I had gone 2.5 yrs without losing one.

 

[robertwhite]

Is lightning an issue with solar hot boxes (Gallagher)? Never really gave it any thought before.

 

[dun]

Is lightning an issue with solar hot boxes (Gallagher)? Never really gave it any thought before.

The only charger I ever had blow from lightening was a solar Gallagher unit. One board for 20 bucks and it was good as new. That was 10 years ago and we are still using it.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I have used a lot of lightning damage control products. Success is decidedly variable. Most "killer" hits come in on the AC line, for me. I've used the surge protectors and a hot strike will run right through them.

I did and do run 2 or 3 battery powered fencers on the leased place. Have not had a problem with them.
I invested in a 120V unit on the deeded place and seem to lose it once a year. Are there better surge protectors for a "hot strike".

 

[agmantoo]

I am in a lightning prone area. To date I have lost 8 cows to direct strikes. I have a 55 gallon barrel nearly full of blown various brand energizers. I use surge protectors, chokes, lightning diverters, Yes, I have three ground rod properly in place. I do have a lot of wire strung. The best results for my minimizing lightning damage was realized by my grounding the top fence wire to grade 3 galvanzied metal posts intermittently throughout the fencing. I am dependent of having electric fencing for my operation and the energizers are just a cost of doing business. I divide the price of the energizers by the period of warranty and that is my cost per month for having electrified fencing. I have a spare charger on hand at all times.

 

[agmantoo]

Stocker Steve

Where you are running multiple chargers, each one is energizing a separate section of fence isn't it? The output transformer in chargers are a step up type, low voltage in and high voltage out. If the output of one charger is fed onto the same wire as the output of another charger the voltage arriving at the opposite charger can be fed into the unit through the transformer and in this case the transformer will function as a step up device and feed excessive volt back into the chargers primary side and cause damage.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Stocker Steve

Where you are running multiple chargers, each one is energizing a separate section of fence isn't it? The output transformer in chargers are a step up type, low voltage in and high voltage out. If the output of one charger is fed onto the same wire as the output of another charger the voltage arriving at the opposite charger can be fed into the unit through the transformer and in this case the transformer will function as a step up device and feed excessive volt back into the chargers primary side and cause damage.

Got a little lost in the electron paths. When I run multiple chargers - - I have one on the main permanent fence, and then run on or two more, not connected to any other charger, for temporary grazing of hay or crop ground. I use the Bubble bee yellow ones and a 12V trolling battery.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I am in a lightning prone area. have a 55 gallon barrel nearly full of blown various brand energizers. I divide the price of the energizers by the period of warranty and that is my cost per month for having electrified fencing. I have a spare charger on hand at all times.

How often does an energizer survive the warranty period?

 

[agmantoo]

How often does an energizer survive the warranty period?

I have had only two to last longer than the warranty period. One was a Gallagher that was recently discontinued and the other was a solar ParMak. The ParMaks are at a disadvantage as the warranty period is two years and the bulk of the units I have bought earlier were for only a year.

 

[cfpinz]

I've got a Gallagher M1000 in for repair now, don't think it's lightning related but who knows? Don't care for the new plastic boxes near as much as the older metal units.

We had a Bulldozer brand box on a leased place one time that got hit pretty hard, found bits and pieces of it in a 20' radius around where it used to reside.