[TowerTalk] Short Ground Rods??

[Red]

Hi, Jim;

Are you referring to the measurement method published by George Hagn?  
Are all the necessary details in the more recent Antenna Books?  My 
19th, 15th, and 13the editionsoffer only a general description and do 
not include details.

The method published in each of those books is that published by J. 
Sevick.  As published, it won't work if plugged into a GFI protected 
circuit, and it measures only conductivity, not dielectric constant.  I 
modified it by adding a 24 volt transformer to isolate input power from 
ground, by omitting the light bulb, and by using conveniently available 
resistor values, with the necessary change in the scaling constant to 
calculate conductivity.

I'm interested in learning more about Hagn's method, as implemented with 
instruments readily available in the ham shack.

Can anyone share more?

73 de WOØW

Jim Lux wrote:

>Easiest way to find out what the soil em properties are is to measure 
>it.  Get a couple of metal rods to make a length of "open wire" line, drive 
>them into the ground at the right spacing (1/2" rods 6" apart, I think), 
>hook up a suitable transformer and fire up the MFJ antenna analyzer.
>It's all in the ARRL Antenna book.
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