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[TowerTalk] Burying radials

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Subject: [TowerTalk] Burying radials
From: RedHaines@centurytel.net (Red)
Date: Fri Jun 6 17:22:52 2003
Hi Bud and all;

My answer to this problem was to cut 6" lengths of #12 wire (fence brace 
wire, light duty, from a farm supply store) and bend a small "U" at one 
end of each piece.  I didn't try to straighten the slight curvature of 
the pieces but just pushed them into the ground over the radials at each 
low spot in the terrain.  

To bend the "U", I put two nails in a vice, stuck the end of the wire 
piece between the nails, and bent them.

I cut the pieces with a fence tool.  It worked easier than a moderate 
size diagonal cutter.

I put down 66 radials with 8-9 staples each fairly quickly and have been 
mowing and driving equipment over them with no problem.

The end of each radial is secured with a 16d nail.  I cut pieces of 
painted aluminum (I think it was some kind of siding trim, about 1" 
angle), flattened them in the vice, and drilled a hole for the nail so I 
can easily find the ends, in case I decide to put down more radials.

73 de WO?W

Bud Hippisley, K2KIR wrote:

>This winter I put up a 90-foot Rohn 45 guyed tower -- partly to support my HF 
>Yagis and partly to serve as my top-loaded 160-meter vertical.
>
>Because the ground was frozen by the time I could get around to putting down 
>radials, I laid some temporary radials on top of the ground just before the 
>first significant snowfall.   Now the snow has gone (finally!) and everybody 
>is tripping over the wires, so now I need to bury two or three dozen 
>"permanent" radials.  After looking in my junk box, the radials are most apt 
>to be #12 insulated solid copper house wire (for mechanical strength) or #16 
>bare solid copper wire (if I find any advantage to using it).
>
>I live in a forest, so the top surface of my yard consists of pine needles, 
>clumps of moss, and numerous surface roots from pines, balsams, hemlocks, and 
>an occasional hardwood.  Because there are so many roots I doubt that the 
>"EdgeHog" or any similar device would be of much use to me.  Instead, I'm 
>thinking of hand trenching with a garden trowel a foot or two at a time, where 
>possible, and then using some kind of pound-in clip to hold each radial in 
>place where it has to come out of the ground to go over a tree root.  
>(Probably in pairs -- one on each side of the root.)  Something that looks 
>like a miniature tent-peg seems like it would be ideal, but I certainly can't 
>afford real tent-pegs, based on the prices I've seen in area stores, and 
>they're typically far too big for what I have in mind.  
>
>Soooo.....I'm wondering if anyone knows of something that would do the "tie 
>down" job and is readily (and cheaply) available at Lowe's, Home Depot, or the 
>national hardware chains.  (Whatever I use, I expect to need many hundreds of 
>them.)  Alternatively, has anyone ever taken a large electrical or 
>construction staple and bent the sharp ends back up, so that they resist being 
>removed -- much like the barb on a fish hook -- after being driven into the 
>ground?  
>
>Bud, K2KIR
>
>_______________________________________________
>
>See: http://www.mscomputer.com  for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless 
>Weather Stations", and lot's more.  Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with any 
>questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
>
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