[Lowfer] Pounding in a ground rod - NOT FUN

[Idle-Tyme]

With this whole discussion about ground rods and getting them to make as 
good as possible contact with the soil, made me think. about the radials 
themselves.

many say that it matters not be they insulated or not.  Thinking of this 
now  wouldn't you rather have them be non insulated so that more can be 
in actual contact with the soil?

I know  they won't last as long.  but i would think the more you have in 
contact the better?

Joe

*The Original Rolling Ball Clock
http://www.idle-tyme.com*



John RABSON wrote:
> May I add a few comments, based on earth loop antennas for cave radio work at 87 kHz, and on my 136 kHz installation in central France ?
>
> For cave radio in the north of England, we were often faced with a thin layer of soil over limestone where it was not practicable to drive rods of any great length.  Frequently we could not do better than about 1 foot.  Short rods connected in parallel and separated by at least twice their length gave good results.  
>
> Here in Burgundy, with sandy soil over limestone/granite with a thin layer of calcite in between, I find four 1 metre ground spikes in parallel give about 20 ohms resistance at 980 Hz.  The resistance at 1.8 MHz would be about double that.  I can't quote a figure for frequencies in between because my measuring equipment for LF suffered in a flood and is not yet back in service.  
>
> Pouring a bucket of concentrated salt solution down two of the holes reduced the resistance of the individual spikes by a factor of between two and three, but I am not sure I want to make a habit of this.  
>
> Another reason for having several spikes is to avoid the situation where you have driven one long one and made an unhappy choice of location.  Even over a range of a few metres here the resistance of individual spikes ranged from 80 to 130 ohms.
>
> 73
> John Rabson 
> F5VLF/G3PAI
> 58800 Cervon
> France
> JN17vg
>
>
>
>
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