[TowerTalk] Re: I'll bite, how does it work

[Dick Flanagan]

>Well, having lived in various places with different soil types, all I can
>say is "your mileage may vary".
>
>South East Minnesota clay/loam -- this trick kinda works. The clay doesn't
>soak in enough water to get soft enough. But it does help considerably.
>
>East Central Minnesota sugar-sand -- this trick is over kill. Three whack
>with a 8 pound sledge and an 8 footer is home.
>
>Silicon Valley -- they don't call the soil "Adobe" for nothin'.  Gardeners
>here *own*, not *rent* jack hammers.
>
>Sierra foothills -- granite. 'nuff said.

We live in the High Sierras of Western Nevada.  Most of the areas here
are ancient alluvial plains consisting of layers of sand/gravel and
"hard pan."  At our QTH the hard pan layer is about three feet thick
and lies roughly eighteen inches below the surface.  Even pneumatic
rotary hammers are not capable of driving a standard steel ground rod
through it.

I finally gave up on rods and the ground field emanating from my tower
consists of eight fifty-foot lengths of 2" copper strap laying in the
bottom of separate 18-inch deep trenches and backfilled.

Yes, your milage may, indeed, vary.

73, Dick

--
Dick Flanagan W6OLD CFII Minden, Nevada DM09db (South of Reno)
Visit http://www.cvrc.net/



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