[TowerTalk] Ground Rods in rocky soil

[Tim Heger]

I use a fence post driver here, and sledge hammer for the last couple of 
feet.

73, Tim - N3XX

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Cqtestk4xs at aol.com>
To: <TOWERTALK at contesting.com>
Sent: Thursday, January 18, 2007 12:50 PM
Subject: [TowerTalk] Ground Rods in rocky soil


> After being spoiled by Florida's sugar sand in which you could dig  a hole
> for a base for holes and anchors by hand and drive a ground rod down  by
> "jetting" it, I now live on one of the biggest rock piles in the world.
>
> Most of the Big Island of Hawaii has solid lava rock.   Fortunately, my 
> area
> is a little bit better...a mix of clay, small rocks  and rocks up to a 
> foot
> across, certainly not the kind of stuff easy to get  into.  Sometimes the 
> layer
> of pure clay is just a few inches thick, in  other places it can be ten 
> feet
> deep.  Ground rods and copper are  pretty expensive out here and I don't 
> want
> to experiment losing rods just a  couple of feet into the ground and 
> getting
> stuck at that depth.
>
> I know I can use a backhoe to dig the holes and will have one on the
> property to dig the cesspool, but what is the best way to go getting 
> ground rods  in?
> I asked the locals at one of the radio club meetings and they weren't 
> much
> help.  Responses were.....most guys just drive it in a foot or so and  use
> radials.  Since the station will sit on a hill, I really don't feel too 
> secure
> putting the rod in only a foot, however I do plan on running the radials,
> since I know it will help.
>
> Any ideas?
>
> Bill K4XS/KH7XS
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