I have used hollow copper pipe for years.

I have one 10 foot copper clad steel ground rod which I used to drive the
pilot hole into the ground, then hauled it out using a car jack. I then put
a copper pipe in the hole. The copper pipe has 1/4 inch holes drilled
along its length for the bottom three feet.

I used 3 pipes and the copper clad rod as a system of four tied together
with #2 copper which is soldered to all four pipes.

At first the copper pipes are loosely set into the hole left by the
steel rod, but after a while the ground settles and they are firmly
implanted.

Every year I take a mixture of water and epsom salts and pour it
down the hollow pipes. I cannot see what is happening under the
ground, but I consider my ground system to be as good as can be
hoped for.

I have run a couple marconi's without radials using the system
and found their performance 'pleasing'. One was an 80m folded
marconi -- about 50 ft of it vertical, and the rest folded back
at about 45 degrees. It was a great performer and a chum of mine
to whom I gave the design has worked all continents and most
countries on it. The ground, of course, is the secret.

The system has been in place for 24 years. four years ago I jacked
one of the pipes out just to see about all these rumors of corrosion
but it was fully intact. I steel-wooled it, then put it back in and
resoldered it to the system.

The pipe was cheaper than the ground rod although that was quite a
while back. I say go for it!


Irv VE6BP