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Re: [TowerTalk] Station and tower grounding

To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Station and tower grounding
From: W0MU Mike Fatchett <w0mu@w0mu.com>
Date: Sat, 3 Dec 2016 18:09:35 -0700
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
In known rocky areas I have found that you should drive them in on an angle. It gives them a chance to deflect. I found driving them into soil filled with river rocks to be much easier when slanted.


On 12/3/2016 10:39 AM, Patrick Greenlee wrote:
I found that really difficult to drive rods would tend to bend when hit really hard with a sledge so... I cut a couple lengths of tubing, one about a foot and the other a couple feet. They are sized to let the rod go inside easily, a tight fit is not required. With one of these over the ground rod where it would bend it doesn't bend and it keeps the force of the blows aligned with driving the rod, keeping it "in column" and not being wasted flexing or bending the rod.

I have also used an electric "demo" (demolition) hammer with a rod driving bit and with patience could drive rods where hammering was nearly impossible. I climb up a ladder to balance the electric demo hammer on the rod. I don't have to support the hammer just balance it and experiment with applying down force or just letting the hammer's weight do the job. Sometimes one works better than the other.


Patrick        NJ5G


On 12/3/2016 11:22 AM, StellarCAT wrote:
I did just that - borrowed a hammer drill - after 30 minutes it got me maybe, maybe 1/2".... I went back to hammering. It was more effective. The clay and sandstone here is terrible. More than likely the one that I borrowed wasn't big enough - although it was pretty darn substantial.

Gary



-----Original Message----- From: Richard Thorne
Sent: Saturday, December 3, 2016 11:40 AM
To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Station and tower grounding

Go rent a hammer drill and purchase a ground rod adapter for installing
ground rods.

Makes quick work of installing an 8' ground rod.

I had 5 ground rods installed in less than 30 minutes.  We have clay and
cliche here in the Amarillo panhandle.

Rich - N5ZC

On 12/3/2016 10:07 AM, Jeff Draughn wrote:
I live in Kansas in an area that has some of the worst clay that I have
ever had to deal with.
It's sticky gooey terrible stuff, sticks to everything like epoxy!
Trying to drive eight-foot ground rods's in the ground is near impossible, I think the stickiness just builds to a point where it's near impossible
even using a 10 pound sledge.

So my question is would several 4 foot rods placed approximately 4 feet
apart be satisfactory?

Thanks for your thoughts and inputs.

Regards,
Jeff
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