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Old August 24th 08, 07:58 PM posted to rec.radio.amateur.antenna
Owen Duffy Owen Duffy is offline
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First recorded activity by RadioBanter: Dec 2006
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Default How do you get a ground rod to 6 feet ?

Dave Lemper wrote in :

The soil in central Texas is called Caliche with a lot of clay,
CaCO3 & shale. Attempting to drive in a ground rod
yielded only a mushroom on top & blisters on me.
Local tool rental place has concrete bits, but maximum
length of 18 inches. Possibly longer bits are available in
a larger city.

Renting a back hoe is out.
Any suggestions appreciated.
Dave WB3DWE



Dave,

If you truly cannot drive an electrode vertically, then you will need to
consider drilling for horizontal electrodes in trenches chased into the
rock. Drilling creates another problem, backfilling for conductivity.

Electrodes in dry rock might not be very effective.

I have had success in driving electrodes into moderately shaly ground,
and even very dry clay isn't too difficult. Pointed 19mm copper clad
steel rods or stainless steel rods are a lot easier to drive into hard
stuff than smaller sizes.

The following article shows some of the equipment that I have used
sucessfully, and likely to be more successful than using an ordinary
hammer. Machine driving does not mushroom then end of the electrode near
as much as hand hammering.

http://www.vk1od.net/post/driver.htm

Owen