Grounding Bar Length ?
Robert11
Just started to string up the new listening only antenna I purchased from
PAR.
As there is a Balun between the start of the wire antenna, and the coax
feeding the receiver, a ground bar is apparently required.
Am using the typical eight foot long,5/8" diameter Cu plated steel that I
guess is fairly typical for house AC power grounding.
Querstion: At my age, it's a bit of a problem pounding in the six or seven
feet that is commonly mentioned as the "required" length. Certainly, the
more the better, I guess, but what wqould be a reasonable length into the
ground ?
How about 4 to 5 feet ? Again, it's for receiving only.
Thanks,
Bob
Telamon
"Robert11" <rgs...@notme.com> wrote:
Better than nothing. Just do the best you can with the rod. Some people
use copper pipe and attach a hose fitting on the top end. Turn on the
water and you have a low speed water drill. Depending on the soil in
your area that may work well or not. Another suggestion is to get a
youngster in the family to pound it in for you.
--
Telamon
Ventura, California
David
wrote:
Look for one already in the ground near your electric service
entrance.
Verstaldin
All life all holiness come from you
O Lord
http://pwp.surfglobal.net/mjmiller/index.htm
"Telamon" <telamon_s...@pacbell.net.is.invalid> wrote in message news:telamon_spamshield-5...@newsclstr02.news.prodigy.com...
Buzzygirl
"Robert11" <rgs...@notme.com> wrote in message
news:yK-dnQEYidR...@comcast.com...
> Hello:
> Querstion: At my age, it's a bit of a problem pounding in the six or
seven
> feet that is commonly mentioned as the "required" length. Certainly, the
> more the better, I guess, but what wqould be a reasonable length into the
> ground ?
I would not worry a whole bunch about the ground rod's length if you are
just listening. Use what you have, and get it down into the ground as far as
you can. See if you can get a youthful neighbor type to help out?
Jackie
RHF
Ground Rod - How Deep ? - As Deep As You Can Get It !
Big Tough Jobs are made easier - - -
If they are done in small steps.
[ Installing a Ground Rod - One Day at a Time ! ]
1. Take a Post-Hole Digger and dig-down a foot
or two to start you Ground Rod Hole.
2. Add a Dry Mixture of 6 Oz Epson Salt and
3 Oz. Copper Sulfate to the Bottom of the Hole.
Then Wet (Soak) the earth (dirt) at the Bottom of
the Hole for a day or two to soften-up the ground.
3. Place your Ground Rod into the center of the
Bottom of the Hole and pound-away as much as
you can and then attach your Clamp and Wire.
4. Add a Dry Mixture of 6 Oz Epson Salt and
3 Oz. Copper Sulfate to the Bottom of the Hole.
Then Wet (Soak) the earth (dirt) at the Bottom of
the Hole for a day or two to soften-up the ground.
5. Come back in a day or two or may be a week and
Remove the Clamp and Wire and again pound-away
a little more. Re-Attach the Clamp and Wire.
6. Add a Dry Mixture of 6 Oz Epson Salt and
3 Oz. Copper Sulfate to the Bottom of the Hole.
Then Wet (Soak) the earth (dirt) at the Bottom of
the Hole for a day or two to soften-up the ground.
7. Come back in a day or two or may be a week and
Remove the Clamp and Wire and again pound-away
a little more. Re-Attach the Clamp and Wire.
REPEAT - The above steps as needed to get your
Ground Rod about Seven Feet (7') into the ground.
NOTE - Eventually you will have about 6" to 8" of
Ground Rod above the surface of the ground and
that is good enough.
8. Fill the Hole with a mixture of 50% of the
original soil and 50% Bentonite.
READ - Great Ground with Kitten Litter [ Bentonite ]
- by Guy Atkins on HCDX - August 10, 2000
http://www.hard-core-dx.com/nordicdx/antenna/ground/bentonite.html
Bentonite is great for getting an excellent conductive ground.
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.radio.shortwave/msg/28ba5602d962b325
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.radio.shortwave/msg/f2ba8bd01a08d34d
Here are a few Ground Rod - Grounding Messages
posted here on RRS with some useful information.
* Buried Copper Wire {Flexible} Ground Rod
without a Hard Rod
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.radio.shortwave/msg/f1adcbeaaded1540
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.radio.shortwave/msg/da58bdfd784856c4
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.radio.shortwave/msg/6c549154294a4d9b
* Transforming your simple Ground Rod into
a Ground Anchor : Is It Worth The Work ?
- You Decide !
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.radio.shortwave/msg/0f31a1a89aa89026
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.radio.shortwave/msg/7b81042ec0ce78e1
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.radio.shortwave/msg/65b69b219da2de33
* Grounds & Grounding = Five Topics for your Consideration
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.radio.shortwave/msg/bb59ed4e60ef8b64
* Building a Solid Copper Ground Pipe {Tube}
with an Solid Iron Core. - Also - Water Drilling
a Solid Copper Pipe for a Ground Rod.
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.radio.shortwave/msg/3b60795205262938
hope this helps - iane ~ RHF
.
All are WELCOME and "Invited to Join" the
Shortwave Listener (SWL) Antenna eGroup on YAHOO !
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortwave-SWL-Antenna/>
SWL ANTENNAS GROUP => http://tinyurl.com/an6tw
.
Some Say: On A Clear Day You Can See Forever.
I Believe : On A Clear Night You Can Hear Forever
. . . and Beyond , , , The BEYOND ! ! !
With a Shortwave Listening Antenna of your own making.
"If You Build It {SWL Antenna} You Will Hear Them !"
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortwave-SWL-Antenna/>
SHORTWAVE ANTENNA FORUM => http://tinyurl.com/an6tw
.
.
. .
.
Bob Miller
wrote:
>Hello:
4 or 5 feet, for receiving, will be fine.
Other possibilities -- I can only go down a foot or so here -- I drove
a short length of copper pipe into the ground, and attached a couple
of 70 foot wires, buried an inch or so below the lawn.
Another idea, just dig a shallow ditch, and lay your rod in it
horizontally. For receiving, you don't need a super-duper type RF
ground unless you're gathering massive amounts of RF out of the
ether...
There are also some ideas at the Polyphaser site, in the amateur radio
tech papers.
bob
k5qwg
mi...@sushi.com
I wish I could rent one of these. I am referring to the tool. ;-)
I used to do the water "trick", but I read someplace that it is not a
good practice.
Ron Hardin
> > use copper pipe and attach a hose fitting on the top end. Turn on the
> > water and you have a low speed water drill. Depending on the soil in
> > your area that may work well or not. Another suggestion is to get a
> > youngster in the family to pound it in for you.
Buy a piece of pipe and a screw-on cap for it.
Put the pipe + cap over the end of the ground rod.
Hammer the rod in by pounding it with the pipe that you put on it,
just raising and lowering it down as hard as you want on the rod.
It can't slip off, and you control the weight you want to deal with
in the pipe that you use.
I'd recommend a fairly hefty weight of pipe.
--
Ron Hardin
rhha...@mindspring.com
On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.
cuh...@webtv.net
rod.
cuhulin
RHF
"Another idea, just dig a shallow ditch,
and lay your rod in it horizontally."
Horizontal [Flat] Ground Rod Under-the-Lawn {Garden}
[ For "Receive Only" Shortwave Antenna & Ground Systems ]
What To Do - When Pounding into the Ground is not possible
or permited.
For the Shortwave Listener (SWL) this is especially a good idea
if you have a Lawn {Garden} and an Automatic Sprinkler System
that keeps the Lawn's Ground Area 'moist' {Conductive} all the time.
Select an Area of the Lawn {Garden} where you can place your
"Buried" Ground Rod or Copper Pipe.
Carefully cut-out Eight (8) One-Foot-Squares of Lawn about 4"-6" Deep.
Place the Squares aside and wet and cover them until they are replaced.
Cover the Area around the cut-out Area of the Lawn and dig-out
a Trench about 6"-8" Wide and about 6"-8" Deep in the exposed
Soil {Dirt} so that the Bottom of the Trench is about 12"-18" Deep.
The Bottom of the Trench should be relatively smooth and level.
Cover the Bottom of the Trench with a 1/2" Layer of Bentonite {Kitty
Litter}.
Next add a thin even Layer of a Dry Mixture of 24 Oz Epson Salt
and 12 Oz. Copper Sulfate to the Bottom of the Hole.
Lay the Ground Rod {Pipe} in the center of the Bottom of the Trench.
Attach the Clamp and Wire to the Ground Rod {Copper Pipe}.
Add a second 1/2" Layer of Bentonite {Kitty Litter} to the Bottom
of the Trench.
Wet (Soak) the Soil, Bentonite and Salts at the Bottom of the Hole.
Re-Fill the Hole with the Soil that was removed from it and Wet
down the Soil and gentle Tamp-it-Down.
Carefully place the Removed Squares of Lawn back into the Area
that it was cut-out from and Wet down the Lawn and gently
Tamp-it-Down.
Caution - Ensure that the Ground Wire is Secure and Not a
Tripping Hazard where it leaves the Ground.
Question - Ground Rod of Copper Pipe for this type of Horizontal
[Flat] Grounding Set-Up ? - IMHO a Copper Pipe is the preferred
as it has more actual copper in it and the Solid Steel Core is not
needed to Drive the Ground Rod into the Hard Ground.
Tip - If this method of Under-the-Lawn Horizontal [Flat] Grounding
Set-Up is used two Copper Pipes can be Use and placed about
4"-6" apart in the same Trench at little extra cost and no extra work.
NOTE - If you are just installing a new Sprinkler System
for your Lawn or Garden - Then you should read :
Buried Copper Wire {Flexible} Ground Rod without a Hard Rod
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.radio.shortwave/msg/f1adcbeaaded1540
50 Feet of # 8 AWG Bare Copper Wire buried in the Trenchs can
be a very effective Grounding System for Shortwave Listeners
(SWLs) and not involve any extra work to accomplish.
m II
> http://www.groundhawgs.com/Default.htm
> I wish I could rent one of these. I am referring to the tool. ;-)
I'd think twice about that woman myself. That is an eight foot long,
undriven ground rod next to her. That makes her OVER seven feet tall and
I frighten easily.
mike
cuh...@webtv.net
the Home Depot store,she asked me if I have a sledge hammer.(naturally,I
have a sledge hammer,two of them,in fact.The old handle is broken off of
my oldest sledge hammer.I bought a new sledge hammer at the Home Depot
store a few years ago)
I got my new sledge hammer and she got on her ladder by the side of her
house and she started hammering the ground rod into the ground while I
was holding the ladder for her.When she got the ground rod hammered into
the ground about halfway,then I took over.
cuhulin
Slow Code
news:6095-443...@storefull-3254.bay.webtv.net:
Then afterwards, did you both get hammered at your place, and what did she
need the ground rod for?
SC
cuh...@webtv.net
september.Soon as she moved in,she ripped out all of the old metal pipes
and she and a cousin guy of hers installed all new plastic water
pipes/plumbing and new faucets and new kitchen sink and new bathroom
sink,,, the whole works.New washing machine,new refrigerator,new
stove,new microwave oven,new lots of things.The new ground rod is so she
could make sure all of her appliances that need to be grounded are
properly grounded.
cuhulin