Home Security Electric Fence

[Julian Barnes]

Hi people,

Following a near death experience at the hands of an illegal immigrant and his gang who suddenly tipped out of the back of a lorry just north of J9 of the M3 in Hampshire (clearly they're coming in via Southampton as well) I've decided that since the government doesn't give a f*ck about our personal security I'd better do something about it myself. The first thing that sprang to mind was to construct an electric fence. We used to knock these up for fun in the 1960s using old Post Office relays in a make/break configuration. It was dead simple, cheap and relatively non- lethal. But that was 50 years ago and times have moved on ('elf & safety etc). So how could a fence best be implemented using current technology? One of the main drawbacks of the old relay system was that it was very inefficient, being permanently 'on' whether there were any intruders or not. I'm now thinking perhaps it would be better to use MOSFETS and a 555 timer to chop the current supply to a large inductor say 20 times a second once an earth path has been detected on the fence's live wire. How best to detect this earth path, though? Bearing in mind it would have to work in rain and shine. And how best to limit the current to non-lethal levels? All constructive suggestions welcome, cheers.

[damduck-egg]

Why not just buy a cattle fence from an agricultural suppliers such as Scats/Mole Valley . Branches in Romsey and Wickham.

G.Harman

[Tim Watts]

Buy a farmers electric fence generator box - it's not very DIY but it will do the job and you will be assured that it will have been designed not to kill anything (and should form a decent defence if plod complains).

It also hurts like billy-o so it should do the job!

[Tim Watts]

[OT]

As the chunnel is not handling it's original function well, and as, apparently, sea-side amusements and fair grounds are back in fashion and fully hipster approved:

Would it be wrong to suggest a giant game of whack-a-mole be set up at the tunnel mouth?

[Huge]

My initial thought was to repurpose Boris's water cannon that he's been told he can't use, and to load them with pig slurry. Lend them to the French.

[Jonno]

Julian Barnes scribbled

How will you fit it to your car?

[Roger Mills]

A single level electric fence designed to control cattle wouldn't be any good for humans because - depending on the height - it would be too easy to step over it or crawl under it. I would have thought that you would need at least 3 wires at different heights. Even so - quite apart from the legality - I'm not sure how effective it would be because it would be easy enough to cut with insulated pliers. Cows don't usually have access to pliers, so it works for them!

[Tim Watts]

On the same note:

"The Swedish justice and migration minister has accused David Cameron of "playing politics" with the migrant crisis in Calais. Morgan Johansson said scenes in Calais had resulted from France and the UK not taking "responsibility" for accepting more asylum seekers."

People here know my politics - I have lots of friends and colleagues from many nations, all legally here and paying more into the system than some natives.

So in the light of that, lest there be no misunderstanding:

Christ. Fuck off Morgan. Who the hell do you think you are telling my country we are somehow wrong for refusing illegal aliens.

I have no problem with having applications for asylum, but it needs to be quick turnaround (few weeks), yay or nay, no appeals and applicant confined whilst the decision is made then a process to settle the successful and return the unsuccessful.

[Tim Watts]

Given these things are strung up next to public footpaths, I see no issues with any legality.

If there is, buy a pet rabbit and use the fence to contain him (and his run just happens to be all around your perimeter).

As for the fence - it does not have to be the usual strings - you could use any bit of chicken wire, as long as it is mounted on insulating poles (not wood - or if wood, using insulated posts) and clear of the ground buy a foot or so (otherwise wet weeds will short it out)

[newshound]

A standard "horse" fencer will provide a basic deterrent. I believe that pig fencers have more of a kick, I think they are usually mains powered.

The trouble with both is that anyone with a bit of savvy will find them easy to short out with a bit of grounded wire. So you really also need an alarm triggered by shorting.

[spuorgelgoog]

I'm not sure what a neon sign transformer would do ... possibly BigClive has something suitable demonic on his site.

Security electric fences are available

A few suppliers are listed in the HSE document:

Factories in China might be less reluctant to supply lethally-high voltage equipment.

Owain

[Nightjar]

Better off changing the car:

[Adam Aglionby]

Do like the anti fence spread technology , no need for lasers when a bit of builders band will do it;-)

[Tim Lamb]

Grey area alert. The usual arrangement is to only electrify one side of the path. Particularly important for bridleways where a rider may be injured by a shocked horse.

Electrified plastic mesh netting is available for Rabbit control. Curiously lengths are regularly stolen.

Some form of radio suppression may be needed as mains energised fencing tends to *tick* at medium wave frequencies.

[Brian-Gaff]

I think two things. Firstly, I think you are being far too complex about it. There are electric fences in the countryside that run for months on a relatively small battery, though they can generate some interference. You are not allowed to do more than tickle animals though, if its fitted where people are. Its ever so easy for a person to claim that they have suffered injury these days if your fence made them fall for example. I'd not want to put one in merely for keeping humans out. Get some geese instead.

Brian

[Brian-Gaff]

Nah, he needs a moat, a drawbridge and some piranhas for the moat. I am remembering an Eric Sykes episode along the lines above, where he was told that all the hazards he put in the way of burglars and would be squatters were in themselves illegal. Cue rant about Englishman's home being his castle. Brian

[Brian-Gaff]

This of course is fine if the intruders are naked and not wearing gloves or footwear. Brian

[Roger Mills]

Indeed. Electric fences only work for animals because they don't have the DIY skills to be able to defeat them. For humans, they're useless!

[Tim Watts]

Karta the Oranutang worked out how to short out an electric fence:

She is not the first - I saw a programme about Chantek the Orangutang who did it in the early 80s (or maybe late 70s).

(You'd have to watch the linked documentary to see the fence bit).

[Jonathan]

Many destroy their documents so they can't be returned. Apparently the loos at Gatwick just before passport control are often blocked with identification documents.

Jonathan