"Rick (W-A-one-R-K-T)" wrote in message
news

Thanks to all for all the information you have provided, including the
latest thread on "ground rods at base of tower". The explanations
received were very well thought out and comprehensive, and make all the
sense in the world when one stops to think for a minute... :-)

Now the fun begins.

I went down to the electrical supply house and bought 3 8-ft ground rods
and started driving one in at about a 45 degree angle under the window of
the shack.

As expected, I am having one hell of a time getting it into the ground.

Every little while I stop and put a pencil mark on the rod down near the
ground, and beat the end of the rod 10 or 15 more times, then look to see
if the pencil mark has moved. So far it is moving but not much... but at
least it's moving so presumably I haven't hit immovable rock yet.


If it is regular ground and not rocks it is easy to put ground rods in with
just your hands and a gallon or two of water, maybe less.

Dig out a hole about 4 or 5 inches in diameter and about that deep. Fill
it with water. Put the ground rod in the center of that hole and push it
down. Then pull it back slightly. Doing this several times you should be
able to get to get it down several inches with each cycle. Keep doing this
without stopping. If you get to about 3 or 4 feet put the rod all the way
out and fill the hole with water . Put the rod back in the same hole and
keep pushing and pulling it a few inches at a time. You may want to wear
gloves. I usually put a pair of Vice Grip pliers on the rod to act as a
handle to get a beter grip.

Using this method I sunk two ground rods in the ground in about 15 minuits
or less for each.