[TowerTalk] [Bulk] Re: [Bulk] Re: [Bulk] Re: copper or galvanized ground rods in red SC clay

[Jim Brown]

On Sun,1/10/2016 10:26 AM, Grant Saviers wrote:
> "The resistance of the grounding electrode system is only a general 
> measure of
> merit. Proper design and installation of the grounding electrode 
> system, installation of ground rings, ground rods, radial grounding 
> conductors, and the bonding of systems and equipment, is as important 
> as the resistance to earth." 

This the most relevant statement in the several you have quoted. Think 
about it -- many (most?) VHF/UHF communications facilities are located 
on mountaintops, where the "soil" is largely rocky/sandy. Heroic efforts 
are required to attain even a modestly low resistance to earth.

At the height of the telecom bust, a colleague bought two decommissioned 
AT&T Long Lines sites on mountaintops, and I had a station in one of 
them for a while. I had the opportunity to study AT&T's drawings for the 
building and for the grounding. Every detail was noted; there are many 
earth electrodes, and there is extensive bonding both inside and outside 
the building. This particular site is on a 3,000 ft peak in NorCal, with 
a 2-story building that is 120 ft x 60 ft and a 150 ft tower that is 32 
ft x 32 ft at the base and 24 ft square at the top. There's a photo on 
the W6BX qrz.com page, which I shot from a wooden fire observation tower 
about one hundred feet higher at the actual peak.

73, Jim K9YC