[TowerTalk] Short Ground Rods??

[Gary Schafer]

You should normally figure ground rods spaced at twice their length in 
average soil. So with 8 foot rods the spacing would be about 16 feet. 
Any closer and it does little good.

However with dryer soil you can move the rods closer together than you 
would for average soil and get some benefit. The 10 foot spacing that 
you had planed sounds like it should do better in the dry soil. (I am 
assuming you have very dry soil there)

So if you can only put in 4 foot rods, doubling up on the number should 
get you in the ball park.
Or you may want to add more radials if you find you can not get very 
deep with the ground rods.

73
Gary  K4FMX


WarrenWolff at aol.com wrote:
> Greetings TTalkers,
>  
> I just heard from a friend who lives at Lake Havasu City
> AZ  where I will be moving fairly soon.
>  
> We were having an exchange, and I mentioned the seven  (or
> maybe more) 20 foot radials with 8 foot ground rods each  10
> feet.  These are planned at the base of my 70 ft tower.  I  also
> plan five similar radials at my SPG.
>  
> Well, my friend advises that none of his ground rods  went
> deeper than 4 feet!  Rocks!!  I knew there were rocks,  but
> not this bad.
>  
> I have been led to believe that all I need to do is saw them  off
> at whatever depth they go and zap them with one shots.
>  
> Well, now, I am wondering if this means I should set  twice
> as many ground rods at five foot intervals rather than10  ft?
>  
> Comments plus experience, please.
>  
> Regards,
> Warren Wolff;
> W5KKW; Extra Class;
> ARRL Life  Member
> _______________________________________________
> 
> See: http://www.mscomputer.com  for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless Weather Stations", and lot's more.  Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with any questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
> 
> _______________________________________________
> TowerTalk mailing list
> TowerTalk at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
> 
>