Solar fence chargers?

[hayray]

Anyone succussfully using a solar charger? I am looking at the possiblity of investing in a powerful one but the cost is really high. Gallagher has a 11 Joule for around $1600 with the panel, don't want to spend that kind of money but then there are a lot of smaller chargers for a lot less but just wondering how good they would work with vegetation loads and large acreages. The Gallagher guy told me the 11 Joule charger would only last 3 days on a 12 volt deep cycle battery. Right now I am running a 18 Joule charger out on rented pasture and really like the kick it has and at home I have a 12 Joule Gallagher. Just looking for some examples of people who are really using them? Thanks.

 

[dun]

We have an old B75 Gallagher with the panel, lasts about 2 weeks if no sun and hooked to a deepcycle battery. A lot of time I use just a standard battery, doesn;t take a lot of battery voltage to make the chargers really pop. A couple of hundred bucks back when we bought it. Only pumps out 6500 volts but with a lot of side drops, grass and vines it would still be pumping anywhere (depending on how wet the vegetation was) from 5000 - 6500 volts at the far ends.
Stafix makes a decent product that is cheaper then Gallagher, kencove.com. Zareba, hi-shock, etc, are a waste of money.
The single most important part is the ground system

 

[mobgrazer]

I have owned a few of them and they worked ok. The problem I had with them was the batteries when it was cold. The charge would not last but 4 or 5 days with snow on the panels. I had tried a few of the early models and I'm sure they have gotten better. I know a few people that swear by them.

I'm using DC units now. I ended up building some small storage buildings with power. I'm running 12 volt units with 2 deep cycle batteries and a 110 charger. I got 3 weeks out of it with a voltage of 10.3 had a very bad storm with no power. The power company thinks that if you live off a gravel road you should be ready to not have power.

edit for bad spelling

 

[Angus Cowman]

www.powerflexfence.com
they can answer all your ? about elec fencing and are glad to do it