Topband: Edger for burying ground radials ?

[W8AV at aol.com]

When I put my ground system in for my 160 base  insulated vertical, I 
entertained the idea of using an edger to slit the  ground.  However, I could not 
justify the cost of one powerful enough that  would do the job and would be 
used only a few times.
 
My method was a bit more labor intensive but worked well.  I  purchased a 
flat blade shovel, one with a straight blade.  You can find  them at most 
garden or farm supply stores.  I used the shovel to slit the  ground at an 
angle to cut the sod.  I then peeled back the sod, inserted  the ground radial 
so that it was maybe 2-3 inches below the surface, rolled the  sod back over 
the radial and packed it down with my lawn tractor.  It took  a couple 
weekends to install 120 quarter wave radials but they have never come  up out of 
the ground.
 
Incidentally, I used #10 soft drawn bare copper wire for the my  ground 
system.  I could easily obtain it from work (we designed and  installed AM 
broadcast antennas), it won't break during normal freezing and  thawing, and it 
lasts for at least 40 years.  When I built my 80 meter  triangle vertical 
array, which is supported by ropes tied to the 160 tower, I  put the ground 
system for the 80 meter array (made of the same wire) on top  of the 160 
ground system and bonded the radials together where they  intersected.  So 
essentially I have a mesh of copper under both antenna  systems.
 
One final; thing to remember, when you bond copper radials together at the  
base of the antenna, use silver solder rather than the ten-lead stuff we 
use for  normal soldering.  Although you will need a MAPP gas torch to melt 
the  silver solder, the joint won't corrode when exposed to mother nature like 
 regular solder does.
 
73................de Goose, W8AV