>You need to use ground rods at least 8 feet long to be
effective.
>
>Your best bet is to look (I don't mean dig it up - just look at
the material
>used; it's thickness and so forth) at the ground rod at your
electrical
>service entrance (close to your electric meter) and match its
quality.
I disagree, Jim. You should see the pieces of crap the local
utilities used for ground rods at my house.
I stopped the electricity truck while the crew was working next
door and asked them to look at my electrical service ground rod
and they found nothing wrong with it...Which is a laugh because
there is no visible ground rod for the electrical service--I
didn't point that out to them...the three of them were much, much
bigger than me.
The ground connection and rod may well be underground with the
rest of the service, but you can't tell my what you see at the
service entrance.
However, there are two ground rods there: one is obviously a pipe
pounded flat on the top (loose as a goose in the ground--wiggles
easily under my hand), with a pipe clamp with rusted off nuts and
just hanging there--connects to the telephone service entrance
box; the other is a thin rod (no idea how long) about 5/16" or
1/4" diameter and connected through a very rusted clamp to the
ground/shield of the long-since disconnected cable TV feed.
Over about 15 feet towards the middle of the back of the house is
an aluminum pipe, again pounded flat on the top and clamped to a
1" strap of some sort of metal (aluminum? steel? plate over
copper? who knows?) which connects to the gas meter.
The only "good" ground rods are those I have planted around and
connected to my tower. All three of my ground rods are 8'
copper-plated steel rods I bought at Home Depot or Builder's
Square. In the last couple of years, I noticed they are also
selling galvanized ground rods, too.
Judging by what the "pro's" did in their installations, I think
my ground rods are better than their's.
Maybe I'll call the local electricity provider and find out why
there ISN'T a visible ground rod or ground connection.
73,
dale, kg5u
Did you hear about the two antennas who got married?
The ceremony wasn't that good, but the reception was great.
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