[TowerTalk] Sinking ground rods

[Bill Coleman]

On Aug 14, 2006, at 1:32 AM, Allen R. Brier wrote:

> What is the best/easiest method to sink ground rods? I know the  
> trick of
> using water to fill the hole several times to make it easy, but I  
> have also
> heard that the ground contact is not as good using this method vs.  
> pounding
> the rod in the hard way, in dry ground. Which is best?

The best way is to pound them in. Doing that can be tricky. It all  
depends on the soil. I put a couple of ground rods in at W4AN (SK)'s  
superstation in Dahlonegah, GA. Soil there was undisturbed forest  
floor. The ground rods could be pushed almost a foot, and hammered in  
with a 20 oz hammer all but the last two feet. Really soft ground.

Most of Georgia isn't like that -- around Atlanta it is hard clay.  
Back in the mid-80s, I broke three sledgehammer handles trying to put  
two ground rods in during a drought. After that, I built a tool.

My ground rod driving tool consists of a 12" steel pipe nipple with  
two couplers and a plug on one end. To this, I added a couple of  
collars and 15 lbs from a set of dumbell weights. The result is a 15  
lb hammer with about a 1 foot throw that cannot miss.

It only takes about 10 minutes to put in a ground rod with this  
device, even in the hardest clay soil.

When I put up my tower five years ago, putting in the four ground  
rods was a snap.

Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL        Mail: aa4lr at arrl.net
Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
             -- Wilbur Wright, 1901