Speedrite digital voltmeter

Details

This is the tool that should live in your truck. The Speedrite digital voltmeter reads from 200 V to 9,900 V in 100 V increments, runs on a replaceable 9 V battery, and switches itself on and off automatically so you are not draining it in a glovebox. Guessing at fence voltage does not work. A fence that snaps loudly at the energizer can be under a thousand volts at the far end of the run, which is plenty to feel and nowhere near enough to hold a determined cow. Test at the energizer, then at the far end of each major run, and the difference tells you where your losses are. The earth probe is the part people skip and should not. It gives an accurate fence-to-ground reading, which is how you find out whether your ground system is actually working. Grounding is the number one cause of weak fence out here — dry soil in late summer conducts poorly, and frozen ground in winter conducts worse. A ground bed that tested fine in June can be badly short in February with nothing else changed. Check it seasonally rather than assuming, and add rod until the readings hold up.