[TowerTalk] Burying radials

[Michael Tope]

Gene/Bud

I tried the coat hanger wire also. It worked fine where I had soft soil.
Unfortunately, that is the exception not the rule here. I have alot of
small rocks in my soil very close to the surface. I found large 60D x 6"
nails at home depot do a really good job and are relatively cheap
($0.04 each). They are stiff enough (~1/4" diameter) that they will
push small rocks aside without bending the way coat hanger wire
does. I put them thru a flat washer to provide a bigger head so the
wire will be less apt to slip off. Using #14 solid copper THHN from
Home Depot, I found that a couple of wraps around the nail shaft
holds the wire quite nicely.  I just pound the head hard until its an inch
or two below grade level so the mower won't catch it.

For heavier duty, Home Depot also carries 3/8 x 8" and 3/8 x 12"
nails. These are quite a bit more expensive ($0.28 and $0.39 each
respectively), but are very good if you need the extra length or
holding power (they would probably make decent tent stakes).

Have fun!

73 de Mike, W4EF.............................


>      I have about a half-mile of various gauge radial wires in the grass
> around my house for my 160M inverted L.  I used pieces of wire shirt
hangers
> as the staples to hold them down.  I cut the hangers into pieces about
five
> or six inches long and bent them into a hairpin.  They seem to work pretty
> well because I've had to relocate a few wires since then and I really had
to
> pull on the wires to get the staples to come out.
>