[TVARC] Ground Rod - Installation
EDWARD KROME
e.krome at comcast.net
Wed Mar 31 07:08:46 EDT 2021
I agree also... my crude hammer methods were "perfected" (ha!) the hard way up north where the water lance method doesn't work. I haven't tried it here but I do remember a guy telling me that he sunk pipe pilings in a Florida lake bottom with water pressure as described. The water lance sure beats the hammer. (pun intended).
73
Ed K9EK
> On 03/31/2021 12:38 AM joe signorelli <ab3cr at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> Tom,
> I agree whole-heartly with the water lance method. I've tried them all and by far the easiest is with water. Many years past, I acquired a hose about 10 ft long(probably from Ace Hardware or Home Depot) that was designed to allow you to drill a hole under your driveway to run conduit or pipe. It is essentially a small diameter hose with a hose connector on one end and a small high jet nozzle on the other. What I did is stick it into a pvc pipe(about 4 or 5 ft long) to act as a guide. Mark the hose at the top end so you know when the nozzle end is at the bottom end of the pipe. Then push the hose up and down to where the hose nozzle is about 6 inches above the end of the pipe down to where the hose nozzle is just flush with the end of the pipe. You will find that you will be able to push the pipe lower and lower. Be sure to mark the pipe to the depth you want. I have found this so easy that you much be careful to not dig beyond the desired depth. It is important to get one of those inline valves to regulate the flow. When you reach the desired depth, turn off the water and wait a while for the water to drain, moving and wiggling the pipe slightly to keep the pipe loose in the hole. This is essentially the same method Doug and Don described below, but with a store bought nozzle.
> Up North, the guy in ou Ham Club that installed many, many ground rods for many Field Days, used a hammer drill (similar to what Ed described below) which was very successful even in the hard clay soil(though it didn't do well when you hit a rock). But I guess it takes some skill....I tried this once in rocky, Clay soil(Bought a hammer drill from Sears). I drove in the ground rod successfully but the hammer drill was destroyed. I returned it to Sears, told them what I had done, and got my money back.
> You are welcome to borrow my hose with nozzle if you would like.
> Joe AB3CR 352-702-9366
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------
> From: tvarc-bounces at mailman.qth.net <tvarc-bounces at mailman.qth.net> on behalf of Doug Moe via TVARC <tvarc at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2021 11:09 PM
> To: EDWARD KROME <e.krome at comcast.net>
> Cc: TVARC Club <tvarc at mailman.qth.net>; Tom Menas <tommenas.k3wt at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [TVARC] Ground Rod - Installation
>
> I’ve had best luck cutting a sharp taper on an 8 foot length of copper tubing and connecting a garden hose to the other end with a hose clamp. Then applying downward pressure to the Rod with water running,then lifting , up and down repeatedly .The water erodes a path for the pipe. This worked successfully in NH where the soil isn’t very friendly to a 7 foot depth. No hammering or ladders. The rod is slightly loose in the ground at first but eventually tightens up.
>
> Doug
> KC1JZC
>
>
> Doug
> Mobile 603 493 0749
>
> On Mar 30, 2021, at 10:23 PM, EDWARD KROME < e.krome at comcast.net mailto:e.krome at comcast.net > wrote:
>
>
> > > Driving in ground rods: I've driven 8 around my house here in TV. It's a lot easier here in the sandy soil than it is up north (I've got 17 around my house in Indiana plus 8 more around the antenna tower. I'm paranoid about lightning)
> > Have tried several methods.
> > 1) big hammer. This is the least satisfactory. Dangerous to stand on a ladder to get up high enough to start driving the 8' rods. And you've got to be a really good shot. I've done it here but it's no fun. Not recommended.
> > 2) fence post driver. These are heavy steel tubes with side handles and a heavy plug in a closed end. You slide it over the rod than slide it up and down to hammer the rod in. Work pretty fast in sand. Will wear you out but it works. You can buy; as I recall, around $25. I would call around to try to rent one. Home Depot, farm stores, maybe Ace. This is probably the best.
> > 3) You can make a driver from maybe 18-24" of 3/4 pipe with a cap threaded on one end. Then you slide it over the rod , hold onto the pipe and drive the rod in. The advantage of this is you can usually do it without standing on a ladder. I have found that you can usually start the rod into the ground by hand. push it in, then pull it back a bit and ram it in again. And again... Then use the pipe driver just described. Once you get the rod in a few feet, you can then start hammering on the top of the pipe cap to drive it in. The pipe lets you keep things aligned and gives you a larger target for the hammer. Go to Harbor Freight and buy the biggest short-handle steel hammer you can comfortably swing.
> > 4) Sometimes you can rent a small electric concrete breaker with a fence post driver attachment.. I have one of these with a homebrew cut-off chisel end and a piece of pipe as a guide. Big electric hammer. Works great. (Unfortunately, it's up north).
> > BTW professionals use a jack hammer with a guided end.
> > And you thought this was going to be easy...
> > Good luck.
> >
> > Ed Krome K9EK
> >
> >
> > > > > On 03/30/2021 6:54 PM Tom Menas < tommenas.k3wt at gmail.com mailto:tommenas.k3wt at gmail.com > wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > Hello TVARCers:
> > >
> > > I need to install two ground rods.
> > >
> > > If anyone has any hints on doing it or having it done, I'd appreciate your suggestions.
> > >
> > > TNX es 73,
> > >
> > > Tom Menas, K3WT
> > > Village of Santo Domingo (near TV Hospital)
> > > Cell: 952-303-2086
> > > tommenas.k3wt at gmail.com mailto:tommenas.k3wt at gmail.com
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