[TowerTalk] Staples

[W2RU - Bud Hippisley]

A year ago I asked the same question about methods of holding down 
radials in my yard here in the forests of the Adirondack Mountains.  I 
have no grass (hence no mowers to worry about) -- just tree roots and 
centuries of pine needles.

I tried bobby pins and simple coat hanger pieces at first, since the 
nearest Lowe's folks couldn't point me to any sod staples.  But because 
of the unique characteristics of pine needle beds, I've found that I 
have to use a combination of three things:

1.  Hammer big electrical staples into the tree roots where the radials 
absolutely must cross over exposed roots.
2.  Cut a trench in the pine needles down to some approximation to real 
soil, and bury the radial except when it comes up for tree roots.
3.  Every few feet of radial, use a specially shaped piece of coat 
hanger as a buried anchor.  I form the hanger steel in the shape of a J, 
then bend the lowest third of the long leg of the J back upward at an 
angle, like the barb on a fish hook, to keep the springiness of the pine 
needles from pushing the "staple" back up into the air.

If I don't do this, people are forever tripping on my radials.

As you might guess, radial installation here is a slow process....

Bud, W2RU