[Boatanchors] Ground Rod

[Brian Clarke]

Hi Gary,

I think there may be a misunderstanding here.

The ground rod can only work if it can conduct electrons between the rod and the 
Earth. When Earth is dry, it is a fairly good insulator. When the Earth is wet, it 
ionises the salts and allows electrons to move. So, the ideas of using the rod as a 
hydraulic ram - not hydrostatic - can't be as the rod is moving - or of using a hollow 
pipe fed with tap water under a little pressure is a good one. 

The manuals issued to electrical distribution authorities' and telco's workers make 
it quite clear that the better grounds are maintained wet and seeded with highly 
ionisable salts, eg, copper sulphate, sodium chloride. But these will eventually eat 
away at your ground rods - which will need replacing. When to replace? When the 
Earth resistance that you measured just after you established your ground rod 
system, starts to rise no matter how much water or salt you add.

Why do you want a ground system, anyway? You should aim for a dipole antenna 
and then the ground system is irrelevant. If you use a vertical, then you can use a 
ground system or you can use a counterpoise - much less expensive and can be 
above ground. The main use for a ground system is to carry away lightning currents.

73 de Brian, VK2GCE.

Gary opined:

  They may go down easy but you don't have a good ground when you do that. 
  The earth needs to be all left intact in order to be a good ground 
  connection.

  In reply to Gary:

    Don't know how rocky your soil is, but an
  > electrician buddy told me how to drive an 8' ground rod in normal soil with
  > nothing but bare hands and a cup of water.  Dig a little hole and pour the
  > cup of water in it.  Push the rod into the hole and keep working it up and
  > down, forcing the water ahead of the rod as a hydrostatic ram.   Not
  > intuitive but it really works - I planted 6 rods in 30 minutes!