Need power 1/4 mile down the field

[Alchymist]

Ran into a situation where I needed 110V about a quarter mile out in a big field. Naturally the portable generator is many miles away, and who carries that much extension cord? Solution - one of those high tensile wire fences ran completely around the field, and up to the barn. A couple jumper wires put th 220 from the barn panel on the top two fence wires. Out in the field - wowser - 140 volts across the wires, dropping to 110 under load. Problem solved! (You do know what today is, don't you?).

 

[gatchel]

The day where you get selected to win the Darwin award?

That's a good one...

 

[Alchymist]

I doubt I'll ever receive the Darwin award - I've been nominated many times, but someone always manages to upstage me!

 

[kbs2244]

Actually I have heard stories more than once about old time telagraph repair men useing the barbed wire along the RR tracks to carry the signal untill they could get a broken wire replaced.

It is kind of sad to see some of those wires just hanging in the breeze now days.
If you get far enough out, not even the copper scrappers have got to them.

 

[HOTFR8]

Must be some way to get that Gen Set closer.

 

[Garage5.9]

Im not electrician but i thought it would short to ground being it is a fence

 

[nehog]

Com'on guys, read the original post again!

BTW, you could have eliminated much of the voltage drop by wiring a step-up transformer before the fence, and another matching one at the work site. I'd have gone to perhaps 666 volts along the fence, that would have worked well, and minimized the voltage drop. Most electric fence insulators will handle the 666 volts just fine.

 

[Norcal]

Ran into a situation where I needed 110V about a quarter mile out in a big field. Naturally the portable generator is many miles away, and who carries that much extension cord? Solution - one of those high tensile wire fences ran completely around the field, and up to the barn. A couple jumper wires put th 220 from the barn panel on the top two fence wires. Out in the field - wowser - 140 volts across the wires, dropping to 110 under load. Problem solved! (You do know what today is, don't you?).

April Fools.

 

[Falcon67]

This is a copy & paste from the 2008 NEC: 0401.11(D) (uh)

Rural short run remote power using fence wire. Where two strand bob-wire of sufficient circular mils is installed on non-grounding fence posts (ref. table BR-549, Open air fence wire current limits) temporary power taps for remote field work may be permitted. Fence attachment jumpers must be sized per table for distance required. Not recommended paractice for distances of over 2 miles, fence line-of-site, or ability to hear shouting of stray humans in contact with powered fence.

(b) Where stray humans are a concern, the fence connection may be supplied from the load side of a ground-fault circuit interrupter type
of receptacle(s).
(c) Fence should be marked every 500' with warning placards stating "RURAL SHOCK HAZARD".

 

[Vettman]

It is kind of sad to see some of those wires just hanging in the breeze now days.
If you get far enough out, not even the copper scrappers have got to them.

Driving back from Salt Lake City a few weeks ago I noticed old abandoned telephone poles along the salt flats with wires blowin' in the wind.

 

[HOTFR8]

Com'on guys, read the original post again!

BTW, you could have eliminated much of the voltage drop by wiring a step-up transformer before the fence, and another matching one at the work site. I'd have gone to perhaps 666 volts along the fence, that would have worked well, and minimized the voltage drop. Most electric fence insulators will handle the 666 volts just fine.

Can you add some more information Do you need the power at that location as te,pory or permanent ?

 

[nehog]

Can you add some more information Do you need the power at that location as te,pory or permanent ?

You need to engage your April Fools filter a bit... And look at the voltage I specified, it is a devil of a voltage!