Ground rods: Copper or Galvanized Steel better?
Bruce Jensen
conductivity; but now I've been told by Ham Radio Outlet that the
Galvanized steel rods are as effective and last longer than the copper
ones.
I can get an 8-foot cooper rod for about the same price as the
8-foot steel. Either one will "keep its feet wet" year round here where
I live.
Which is better? Any clues?
Thanks...
--
Best regards,
Bruce Jensen
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
CW
--
CW
KC7NOD
Web Page http://www.cw.arjika.com
"Bruce Jensen" <bpnj...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:8tkpoa$8qv$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...
yessirmr...@my-deja.com
rusts, and rust provides a terrible electrical connection. And, while
we're on the topic, never EVER use steel wire for ground radials.
Copper only. Only! (from experience - don't do the same dumb stuff
I've done, hee hee!)
73s!!!
Steve
yessirmr...@my-deja.com
NOT TRUE!
Even galvanized steel will, eventually rust.
Steve Lawrence
Omaha
CW
effectiveness as a ground rod not corrosion resistance.
<yessirmr...@my-deja.com> wrote in message
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yessirmr...@my-deja.com
Steve
"CW" <cma...@sprynet.com> wrote:
> May be I should have made myself more clear. I was referring to its
> effectiveness as a ground rod not corrosion resistance.
Bruce Jensen
yessirmr...@my-deja.com wrote:
> Copper - coated. As thick a copper coating as you can get. Steel
> rusts, and rust provides a terrible electrical connection. And, while
> we're on the topic, never EVER use steel wire for ground radials.
> Copper only. Only! (from experience - don't do the same dumb stuff
> I've done, hee hee!)
Thanks for the tips. I chose the heavy-copper-coated steel. Installed
it, and it has served to increase not only the signal level, but also
the horrid electrical noise level that seems to plague this location.
That ain't the worst part. After installing it, I have managed to fry
my LSB reception, somehow, probably through a previously damaged
electrical connection. This just ain't my week.
Mark S. Holden
area in contact with ground.
Your car uses the steel in the body to provide the electrical ground for
all it's accessories.
While copper is a better conductor, with the size of rods you're talking
about, the difference would be insignificant.
But adding a second rod of either type, a few feet away would make a
significant improvement.
But an even more effective way to improve the ground would be to use a
fatter wire to run to the ground.
I hope this helps.
Regards,
Mark
Tom Nelson
drive into ground CAREFULLY. I had some left over from plumbing job and it
works great.
Nelson
JAMES WEE SUNG CHENG
>They are right, either one, makes no difference.
How about using a copper-clad Steel rod? (Such as the ones used in
power earthing. (The brand I used was Furst). Pure copper rods are
pretty hard to drive into hard soil.
My 2 cents worth.
yoroshiku onegaishimasu
Wee Sung Cheng
yessirmr...@my-deja.com
hammerless job in most areas if you could somehow fit a (garden) hose
to the top of it, and force water through it, down into the ground,
digging as you go...that would eliminate any chances of binding or
crunching up the tip... seems I read something about using Bentonite,
too...improves ground conductivity...I've got some reading to do, it
would seem!
Back to the lab!
(laughing...but not *too* maniacally)
73s,
Steve
yessirmr...@my-deja.com
monitor military comms...but it surely doesn't seem to be *your* week!
):/
Steve Lawrence
Omaha
Stan Barr
>Try regular 3/4" copper pipe. Cheaper than coated ground rod. Make sure to
>drive into ground CAREFULLY. I had some left over from plumbing job and it
>works great.
>
Absolutely! And you can pour water down it in dry weather and improve the
conductivity of the soil where it matters - at the bottom.
--
Cheers,
Stan Barr st...@dial.pipex.com
The future was never like this!
Snot
zinc coated which oxidizes itself eventually and what you are left with is a pile
of rust powder. On the other hand, copper rusts also but is still a better conductor.
If you are intent on grounding, you might consider a counterpoise mechanism
also and a special balun of some sort to get rid of the noise and give yourself a much
better virtual ground as real grounds at good enough values are not going to be met
with a just a few ground rods.
Snot
Problem is, Gold will turn to pudding when you try to drive it in the ground.
John Smith
"Snot" <sn...@nose.org> wrote in message
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Stan Barr
yessirmr...@my-deja.com <yessirmr...@my-deja.com> wrote:
>Actually, that's not too bad of an idea...it would be an easy,
>hammerless job in most areas if you could somehow fit a (garden) hose
>to the top of it, and force water through it, down into the ground,
>digging as you go...that would eliminate any chances of binding or
>crunching up the tip...
That's how I did mine, but make a couple of saw cuts in the end and bend them
out slightly, like a saw blade. This will make the hole slightly bigger
than the pipe and it will go in easier. The soil soon settles around the pipe
and makes contact again.
Bruce Jensen
st...@dial.pipex.com wrote:
> On Tue, 31 Oct 2000 07:14:16 GMT,
> yessirmr...@my-deja.com <yessirmr...@my-deja.com> wrote:
> >Actually, that's not too bad of an idea...it would be an easy,
> >hammerless job in most areas if you could somehow fit a (garden) hose
> >to the top of it, and force water through it, down into the ground,
> >digging as you go...that would eliminate any chances of binding or
> >crunching up the tip...
>
I was lucky - I was able to pound that 8-foot rod all the way down in
about 5 minutes with a 15-pound sledge, and I suspect that below about -
5 feet, the route was all wet - maybe even with slightly saline water
(we live near SF Bay).
In any case, my object now is to find the source of electric noise and
kill it (if I can :-/).
Bart Z. Lederman
Another good way to make a long lasting ground 'rod'.
Get some copper tubing as others have mentioned: 1/2 inch
is enough. While at the store, buy a cap for one end.
Also go to the part of the store where they sell dowell
rod and buy one that will just slip into the copper
tubing.
Flatten one end of the tubing, cut it to a 'v' shape
to make it go into the ground more easily, and solder
it shut. Insert the dowel rod to make the tubing
stiff, then solder on the end cap. You can now pound
it into the ground without it bending.
If you can't find a dowel rod that just fits into the
copper tubing, you can consider filling the tubing with
sand before soldering on the end cap. That should also
keep the tubing from collapsing.
I saw an article a long time ago that suggested a
variation on this for areas with high ground resistance.
You use copper tubing or pipe with the end flattened as
before, but you also drill some holes into the sides of
the tubing near the pointed end. Fill with sand, possibly
with the addition of some copper sulphate. You don't
solder the top cap on, though you may have to slip it
into place while driving the tubing into the ground.
You can then feed water and/or water with copper sulphate
down through the ground rod where it will come out of the
holes near the tip to lower ground resistance. I've never
done this myself, so I don't know how it works. I would
certainly make the rod very long or else not have it too
close to any plants I wanted to keep growing, because
too much copper sulphate might be bad for them. I also
wouldn't do this in any area where the end of the rod could
get into the ground water supply: but then, if the ground
water is that close to the surface, you wouldn't have to do
anything like this to reduce ground resistance in the
first place.
--
B. Z. Lederman Personal Opinions Only
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