How do you find a break in an invisible fence?

Answer 1

THIS WORKS! Took me a couple hours & a $1.50 part from Radio Shack, but it saved me $200 to get the IF company to fix it (found it on another website): http://hardware.mcse.ms/a-rchive144-2005-9-227666.html This- method requires you purchase an "RF-Choke" from Radio Shack (Catalog item # 273-102) and use an AM Radio. Once you have these, follow these procedures: 1. Disconnect the boundary wire from the terminals on the transmitter. 2. Wrap the boundary wire around the choke leads 3. Connect the choke leads to the terminals on the transmitter. The choke has now completed the loop as far as the transmitter is concerned. 4. Turn the range adjustment knob up 1/4 to 1/2 turn. 5. Take the transistor radio and set it to AM 600. Stand outside the structure where the twisted wire exits and listen for the pulsating static of the transmitter. Gently swing the radio back and forth across the front of your body and follow the wire out to where the loop begins. Pick either direction and continue until the pulsating stops for a 4-6 ft area. In this area is your break.

I spent $130 to invisible fence to repair a break and swore that i would never do it again and bought the identical parts that they used to locate and fix the break. They charged me $89 in labor +$30 for 2 of the suresplice kits that cost only $1 each. :

1) 3 Prong Orange outlet to provide ground to Tracer ($1 at Lowes)

2) 77HP Tracer 2 ($35 on internet)

3) 4' of 16 Gauge Wire (to splice wires - $5 Lowes)

4) AM Radio ($15 Radio Shack)

5) Suresplice SK 14-12G (splicer kit $1 per item - need to for repairs)

Turn 77HP Tracer to Tone Mode

Attach black wire from 77HP to 3 prong outlet (GROUND WIRE) and plug outlet into power outlet

Unplug power to Invisible Fence transmitter

Remove right white wire and attach to red wire from 77HP Tracer

Turn Radio on to far left frequency and search for frequency beeps. When it stops making noise, you found wire break.

Cut 4' piece of 16 Gauge Wire

Attach both pieces of wire into suresplice splice

Done.

This procedure can work, but I have gone through two new sets of Locators and there are just too many RADIO Stations in the Tampa Bay area to get a clear spot on the AM radio band. I can move the radio about 1 foot and it will change from a Religious station to a Talk station. I can hear the tone sometimes, but it is very faint, and sometimes not at all over the playing station. The radio reception changes as I walk my 1900 foot boundary wire, the station will change again and again and the tone signal will get weaker.

But I repeat, it CAN work, just depends on the radio and the # of stations in your area.