[TowerTalk] Practical Grounding at reasonable cost.

[Patrick Greenlee]

On 1/20/2015 2:46 AM, Roger (K8RI) on TT wrote:
> The ones I have seen  are formed by using a large cardboard tube as a 
> form to cast the ground rod in concrete. (remove the form before 
> planting the ground!) An auger digs a hole of the proper diameter to 
> the proper depth and the encased rod is lowered into place. Not cheap, 
> but very effective.


I don't get it.  Why not augur the hole and place the rebar in it (with 
proper clearance from dirt contact) and pour concrete into the hole?  
Why complicate the process, adding the extra hassle and expense of the 
Sonatube.  The hole in the ground is a "wash", needed either way but no 
heavy equipment needed to pick up the formed rebar filled concrete 
cylinder and you don't buy and destroy a big sonatube (cylindrical 
cardboard form typically used to extend a pier hole above grade and 
similar.) Also it is much easier to pour concrete into a hole in the 
ground than to fill a big sonatube.

Patrick   NJ5G