[TowerTalk] Copper pipe for ground rods?

[Roger K8RI on Tower]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Gedas" <w8bya at mchsi.com>
To: "'towertalk reflector'" <towertalk at contesting.com>
Sent: Sunday, June 12, 2005 10:17 AM
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Copper pipe for ground rods?


> What is interesting to me are all the different opinions on one method vs.
> another.  All I can do is add yet another opinion.
>
<Snip>
> I'm over 6' tall and 250 pounds and am not afraid to work with a
> hammer.....let me tell you, I just could not get the rods down. The clay 
> was
> so hard and dense it just was not working.  Soon I was trying the hydro
> method on some of the 3/4" copper pipes. For my clay it just didn't work. 
> It
> did end up making a terrible mess as the countless gallons of water were

On mine I turned the water drill into a drill bit by welding a piece of thin 
flat stock inside the end with about a 1/4" sticking out.  I tapered this. 
It is in at a twisted angle and creates two swirling jets of water in 
addition to serving as a cutting blade in the clay.  When using the drill in 
clay I'd rotate it as well as moving it up and down.  It was slower going in 
solid clay but it still turned a 20 minute job with a sledge hammer into 
about 3 to 5 minutes.  In less than a week the space had filled in and the 
rods were in solid.    Yes, it does make a mess.  <:-))

Roger Halstead (K8RI and ARRL 40 year Life Member)
N833R - World's oldest Debonair CD-2
www.rogerhalstead.com

<rest snipped for space>