[Lowfer] Pounding in a ground rod - NOT FUN

[Stan, W1LE]

Hello Mike,

Lotsa thinking out loud.....

to ensure wire to wire contact I plan to tension the overall length to 
maintain electrical contact.

Also thought about 1 or 2 tension wires running the length and lightly 
woven into the chain link.
Also thought about soft soldering the tension wire every few links.
tension wire would be galvi steel which should "wet" nicely with soft 
solder.

Avoid the plasticized chain link. Poor conductivity from link to link
avoid the aluminum chain link, would dissolve in my acidic soil 
conditions quickly.
The galvi on steel would also erode, but much slower,
leading me to put the chain link on top of the topsoil and not buried.

I probably should measure the actual DC and RF(AC) resistance:
1. layed out but not stretched
2. layed out and stretched,
3. layed out with a tension wire
4. layed out, stretched and with single galvi tension wire,
5. ditto with 2 each tension wires
6. ditto with tension wires soft soldered every few feet.

Could measure the low current drive resistance with a handheld DVM.
Could also put 10 A DC thru it measuring the voltage drop...

Measurements at RF could be done with my GR bridge.
Will require some thinking to implement.

Probably a spring project.
Will scrounge the chain link from my sister's mother in law's estate.
My land is cleared and destumped with a rough grade.
Awaiting a local contractor to come in with his heavy equipment to give 
the final "final grade".

Hurry up and wait..... Life awaiting Cape Cod contractors.....


Stan, W1LE     Cape Cod



Mike-WE0H wrote:
> How would you get the chain link fence wires bonded together? I have a 
> 50' roll that I thought of using that way but then seen that each 
> vertical wire is individual and not welded together. Does it work good 
> enough being capacitively coupled to the next wire in the fence?
>
> Mike
> WE0H
>
>
>
> Stan, W1LE wrote:
>   
>> It would be interesting to measure the ground resistance every few 
>> inches as you drove the ground rod in.
>> And measure it at the freq you are playing at...
>>
>> As I recall, most of the conductivity is in the top few inches of 
>> organic material,
>> but that depends on your specific soil conditions, YMMV ....your mileage 
>> may vary.
>>
>> I hope to score some galvi chain link fence material soon. Plan is to 
>> use it as a ground mat.
>> Either under the top soil (yet to be brought in), or on top of the soil 
>> with the grass growing thru it.
>> I will stretch it out, in line with the directivity of the big loop 
>> above it.
>>
>> The NEC, national electrical code, requires the driven ground rod for
>> electrical safety at the service entrance. If you can not achieve 25 ohm
>> or less ground resistance, drive in a second rod, bond the two, and walk 
>> away.
>> Separation between multiple ground rods should be more than their length.
>>
>> Stan, W1LE
>>     
>
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