[TowerTalk] Installing Ground Rods was (Tower Wench)

K8RI on Tower Talk k8ri-tower at charter.net
Tue Jan 25 01:10:03 EST 2005




> Nice pictures Roger.
> Only problem with your installation method is you do not have as good a 
> ground connection with earth as you would if they were driven in.


Not at all. That's an old wive's tale.

After the rods are in for a few weeks, they are in solid.

> It is recommended that rods be driven in. Washing them in is probably the 
> worst way to install them as the earth is disturbed and will never be 
> packed tightly around the rod as it would be with driven rods.

The earth is only part of the equation, but they will be solid in just a few 
weeks if done in the Spring or fall.
Most of the conductivity is in the moisture/water and salts disolved in the 
water.

Water drills work very well, at least where the soil stays moist most of the 
time.  If the soild is dry it doesn't do much anyway.



Roger Halstead (K8RI, EN73 & ARRL Life Member)
N833R, World's Oldest Debonair (S# CD-2)
www.rogerhalstead.com
>
> 73
> Gary  K4FMX
>
>
> K8RI on Tower Talk wrote:
>> I still like the good old water drill. It's cheap and easy to use.
>> http://www.rogerhalstead.com/ham_files/ground.htm  I've posted it before, 
>> but I think it's germane to this discussion.
>> It works well in sand, clay, or clay  . IOW, soil without a lot of rocks.
>>
>> Another possibility, although I've not tried it would be a hammer drill. 
>> Some are large enough to chuck up a 5/8" rod.
>>  It'd be an interesting experiment.  Again, as virtually any other 
>> method, wet soil makes the installation easier.
>>
>> Roger Halstead (K8RI, EN73 & ARRL Life Member)
>> N833R, World's Oldest Debonair (S# CD-2)
>> www.rogerhalstead.com
>>
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