On Apr 20, 12:28*am, Drakefan wrote:
-
- Ideally you want the most conductive surface area you
- can get in the ground. That's why more ground rods are
- better than one, particularly for transmitting purposes.
- But one rod is usually enough for receiving if the ground
- has average conductivity. In a dry area like the desert,
- it may well require many horizontal radial rods or even
- copper sheet metal buried in the ground to get a decent
- RF ground.

-was- SWL -Newbies- The Ground Rod is First and Formost
for Electrical Safety and it can also Help to Improve your
Radio Reception.

For One and All,

Putting in a new Lawn and/or Garden Sprinkler Watering System :
Plan Your Ground Rod and Grounding Radials System Too.
http://www.sprinkler.com/files/lit226w.pdf

Going On-the-Horizontal With Your Grounding Point :

Place one or two 10 Foot pieces of One Inch Copper Pipe
[1 1/8" OD] at the bottom of the Trenches.

But first put a 3/8" Layer of Kitty {Cat} Litter in the bottom
of the Trenches.

Solder a Heavy Duty # 4 AWG Bare Copper Wire to the
Copper Pipe before you put it in the Ground. Take 6-Feet
of the Wire and Fold it at the Center around the Copper
Pipe. Wrap the Wire about Four Times around the Pipe
so that you have two equal Tag-Ends about 2+ Feet long.
Solder the Wrapped Wire completely around the Pipe.
Lay the Pipe into the bottom of the Trench. Use a piece
of PVC Pipe to protect the Ground Wires from the Pipe
to 4" above the Ground Surface. Solder and Clamp your
Ground Wires to these two Wires.

-Or- Place a Bundle of Bare # 8 AWG Copper Wires in the
Trenches : 14 Feet & 12 feet & 10 Feet & 8 Feet & 6 feet
{Adds-up-to 50 Feet of Wire in the ground}
With all the Wires Bundled 'together' at the Above Ground
"Connection" End and Tappering off as they extend out.
Place a Hose at the "Connection" End and another Hose
Clamp 6" apart of the first. Solder the Wires together
between the Hose Clamps.
x===========================
x=======================
x===================
x===============
x===========
Cut a Large 1 1/2" PVC pipe long enough to go from the
bottom of the Trench to about 6" above the ground.
Remove the Hose Clamps and place the Soldered Wires
into and through the Pipe so that the Solder Wire section
is sticking out. re-install the Hose Clamps. Bend the Wires
90* at the bottom of the Pipe and place the Wires at the
bottom of the Trench with the Pipe Sticking out of the ground.
Spread the Individual Wires out at the bottom of the Trench
so that they are about an Inch apart.

NOTE - A second one of these Wire Bundles can be
place in the Ground laying in the opposite direction of
at 90* with the "Connetion" Ends co-located to form a
Below-the-Ground bi-poled {DualPath} Ground Array.

TIP : Dig the Trenches a few Inches to a Foot Deeper
for a better Grounding System.

=PS= Since the Ground is under the Sprinklers and the
Ground is always wet or at least damp this arangement
usually results in a very good Grounding System.


as always stay well grounded - iane ~ RHF {pomkia}