On Sun, 24 Aug 2008 17:57:32 -0500, Mike Coslo
wrote:

"Wayne" wrote in
news:BdXrk.527$482.222@trnddc06:


As a last resort I will hack a trench with a pick and lay in the rod
at a shallow angle to the surface. Would this give an adequate
ground ? I could also bond it to an outdoor brass spigot
10 yards away or even to an anchor fence in the other direction.
Dave WB3DWE
-
In my opinion the trench would be ok, but I'll leave that to the
experts on the group.

However, I remember chiseling through the caliche to be annoying, but
not that difficult with the right tools. It can be done with a
"shooter" style shovel, but that is a bit more effort. However, I
doubt if you would ever get a copper rod driven through without some
major damage to the rod.




If the soil is permiable to water, you could try another of my hack
methods. Sweat a garden hose connection onto a piece of copper tubing.
Attach a garden hose to the fitting, and point the rod down in the place
you want to sink int. Then let it rip. In my area, we have a few inches
of topsoil, than a really hard clay, then rocky clay, followed by sandy
clay/sand. It will even move some rocks out of the way. The tubing
becomes the ground rod of course.

- 73 de Mike N3LI -

Water worked ok for me and I replaced the Steel pipe I used with a
clad ground rod after I made the "hole". Now on the job I see
electricians using a neat tool. I think Milwaukee makes it. It
attaches to the rod and hangs off the side and appears to be able to
be clamped on anywhere and hammers it into the ground. Seems to work
very well under different conditions. Try rental houses first. If ya
belong to a club it would be a good club buy.

Dan, N9JBF