[TowerTalk] Radial staples

[Rob Atkinson, K5UJ]

I went the coat hanger route at first too.   I spent about 2 or 3 hours 
cutting and bending to make around 100 of them which I thought would be 
plenty.  I used them all up in about 20 minutes.   At that point it dawned 
on me that I should look around for something manufactured.  I tried a few 
things and finally hit on big fence staples I found in a farmer's co-op.   
The "wire" to make them is about as big around as a pencil.   each one is 
about 1 inch wide and the prongs are 2 or 3 inches long and sharpened.   I 
had doubts about the prongs being long enough but tested them and they 
hammered right down into the ground and stayed put.   Cost was $0.90/pound.  
   they are supposed to be used to hold barb wire to wood fence posts.   I 
fill a steel bucket with them and walk around nailing down any wire that i 
see up off the ground when I add radials.   didn't know about the sod 
staples.   I'll give them a try.  The fence staples work okay for me though 
and if you can't find anything else and are in farm country go to a supply 
store and see if they have them.  They won't be in Lowe's or any kind of 
homeowner place.   BTW, if you use solid wire instead of stranded, it stays 
down a lot better--the stranded stuff wants to coil up all the time.  don't 
waste ur money on good copper antenna wire for this, save that for in the 
air antennas--for radials cheap(er) solid no. 14 insulated copper is fine.

rob/k5uj

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