[TowerTalk] radials 160

[Rob Atkinson]

Herb:

I admire your drive to do a full ground system.  It is really worth it.

1.  as many as you can put down as long as possible up to around 120
feet.  shorter is okay, just  do many many.  strap in other metal.  My
aluminum siding garage is strapped in to the ground system.

2.  Professionals use a radial plow.  A homebrewed wedge with a tube
on it and a reel of copper wire over the plow that feeds the wire down
into the ground via the tube on the plow blade.  3 point hitch to
tractor.  That's really the way to go.  Anything else will get old
fast.  You'll do one and think screw this.

3.   "staples" will constantly bend on rocks, roots etc. below the
surface.   Use 2 inch long barb wire fence staples.  Pound them in
with a hammer.  Yes they'll stay put and go into lime stone and roots,
and move small rocks.   Get a few pounds of them at farmer co-ops and
other rural stores.

4.  Just do a few radials a day.  Make a plot of the property on paper
and draw where you want them to go so you don't have mission creep.

5.  When you mow, get the blade as high as it can go the first year.
Also get it sharp on a grinder.  You want the blade to clip the wire,
not wrap it.  I've only clipped one in all the years I've had  radials
down.

6.  Don't overlook elevated radials.  If you can put six 120 feet long
up at 15 or 20 feet through trees try it.  The catch is that they have
to be straight and each pair must be in a straight line and
equidistant from its neighbor to get the performance of a full buried
ground system.

73

Rob
K5UJ