[TowerTalk] ground rod depth problem due to rocky soil -- solutions?

[Jim Lux]

On 11/16/12 7:28 AM, Michael Goins wrote:
> Impractical analysis because where are you going to get 1" wires and who
> could possibly afford 700 feet of it? Plus the cost of getting it a foot
> down in rock?


For a lot of modeling codes, you model strap (as 'TTT described) as a 
round conductor of the same surface area.  This is what you do for NEC, 
for instance, when you model a solid surface with a grid of wires.



>
> I'm on pretty much solid rock here, 1800 feet up on the side of a hill,
> and that would cost a fortune to do.
>
> Still not clear about the need/reason. Why not just totally disconnect
> and reconnect the tower when you operate? That's what I do here and the
> tower is not grounded other than by its proximity due to the factory
> base 5 feet deep in solid rock. My station is completely broken from the
> tower when I am not operating and I don't operate in storms. There is
> nowhere for lightning to go that would harm my station.
>

That's a different operational concept.. it's a tradeoff.. do you want 
to connect/disconnect every time (which is less convenient and takes 
time) or do you want to just build it to take the hit (which costs more, 
probably).

Both approaches are valid.

It's kind of like the tradeoff on a crankup and wind loading.