Topband: tool for install radials

[Bill Wichers]

Try calling one of the cable TV contractors, many of them are small (as in VERY small) companies with only a few employees. They might help you out for a little money or even just some beer.

For the larger vibratory plows, the lawn sprinkler companies are usually cheaper to use than are the electrical guys. They use the same machine. I've had sprinkler companies install pipe to use as conduit before when I only need shallow depth.

For bigger runs, or deeper runs (several feet or more), the industry uses "directional drilling" (sometimes AKA "directional boring"). It's way overkill to use for radials (Although my feedlines were installed this way), but many of those companies also have the smaller rigs too.

Maybe not what you were looking for in terms of just renting the equipment, but I thought this info might help.

To answer some other posters: My own radials are all on-ground about half in the woods and half in the grass. After a year or so the copper turns dark brown and becomes completely invisible under the oak leaves in the woods and the grass in the yard. I have a ring under the antenna made of 1/2" copper pipe, then I run 18 awg solid bare copper radials out from there. I hang a 5,000 foot reel with a piece of pipe and a ladder (or similar) in the center of the ring then I just walk the radials out to wherever they need to go. I anchor the far end with a small stick pushed into the ground with the wire looped around it. This keeps a bit of tension on the radial, but will break before the wire does. I haven't used stables.

  -Bill

> 
> 
> On 12/9/2014 7:38 PM, John K9UWA wrote:
> >
> > For guys who don't want to try it that way consider renting this
> > gadget designed to bury cable TV lines coax and other wires.
> > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGa-3HY38W4
> >
> > John k9uwa
> >
> 
> Has anyone actually found a rental yard that has these things?  All the rental
> yards I have called don't even know what I am talking about when I ask about
> this sort of thing.
> 
> Rick N6RK
> _________________
> Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband