"Bob Miller" wrote
My main problem is there is solid rock/limestone about a foot down. I
can't even penetrate it with my Glen Martin ground rod driver. So
putting down a new rod probably means digging a shallow ditch and
laying it down horizontally -- or laying some radial wire, or both.

bob
k5qwg

Hi Bob, the horizontal burying of ground rod is fine, although a minimum
depth of 3' is recommended in NFPA-780. Follow the same plan as for vertical
ground rods by burying two additional (min.#4 wire) conductors for another
20' in a "Y" direction and repeating a horizontal rod at each of those
locations.

horizontal horizontal
----------- --------------
\ /
\ /
\ 20' 20' / buried #4 (min) bare
copper
\ /
\ /
\ /
\ -------------- / horizontal
|
|
|

Even in dry soil this will be a much more effective ground than a single 8'
vertical ground rod.

73,
Jack

Why bother to try to clean? As mentioned, the copper has probably
dissappeared from the ground rod, under ground. A trick you might try:
Check your local garden center for Powdered Copper Sulfate (CU S O-4
)-it is used as a pest control, for gardens- also, is used as an
ingrediant in the solution for plateing copper to items! (a greenish
powder) Mix this with water, and
then pour it on to the ground rod/earth (warning- you may stearlize the
ground - don't try this around ornimental plants, nor growth that you
wish to keep alive!) May take several gallons, but with electrolyisis,
may help replate the ground rod, and will certainly improve the ground's
conductivity to the ground rod! As info, Jim NN7K


Bob Miller wrote:
I have a ground rod that has become corroded. My VOM measures no
continuity between the rod and the ground wire.

Is there and easy spray-on cleaner of some kind that would make the
ground rod shiney and conductive again, where I attach the ground
wire? (I don't think I can pull the rod out to replace it; it'd be
easier to fix what I have.)

Tnx,

Bob
k5qwg

Bob,
An easy fix? Forget it. Pull the thing out of the
ground and replace it with hard drawn copper pipe.
'Water drill' it into the ground (keep large hammer handy
for the rocks). Better yet, lay out several hundred
radials (sure easy to tell others to do that, isn't it?).
An 'easy way' and a 'good way' are seldom the same thing.
'Doc

PS - Don't bother pulling the old ground rod out. Just
sink the new one near it.

PS - Don't bother pulling the old ground rod out. Just
sink the new one near it.



Actually, given the "rock layer" situation he has, it might be worth
pulling out the old one and driving the new one in the same hole.



Ed

What's the matter with "Brasso".

There's also tins of "Duroglit", a wool impregnated with some chemical or
other.

Both been around for 60 years or more.

On Wed, 29 Dec 2004 23:39:44 +0000 (UTC), "Reg Edwards"
wrote:

What's the matter with "Brasso".

There's also tins of "Duroglit", a wool impregnated with some chemical or
other.

Both been around for 60 years or more.


Tonight I tried a little Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce on the
ground rod. Smells good enough to eat. I'll check it in the morning.

Bob
k5qwg

Tonight I tried a little Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce on the
ground rod. Smells good enough to eat. I'll check it in the morning.

Bob
k5qwg

================================

Interesting to know Lea & Perrins Worcester Sauce is available in the USA.

I live in the next county to Worcestershire.

I cook for myself and use a small bottle in two or three weeks.

But as for your subsidiary use on ground rods I hope they're made of carbon.
Ordinary metals are less resistant to attack than my stomach lining.
----
Reg, G4FGQ

On Thu, 30 Dec 2004 03:23:30 +0000 (UTC), "Reg Edwards"
wrote:

Interesting to know Lea & Perrins Worcester Sauce is available in the USA.

Hi Reggie,

Back in the 60s, a black comic by the name of Godfrey Cambridge used
the name as the punch line to a joke about one of his forbears (an
uncle perhaps) who was visiting in England. It seems he was served a
dish with that garnish and it was named upon his exclamation:
"Wus dis here sauce?"

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC

"Reg Edwards" wrote

Interesting to know Lea & Perrins Worcester Sauce is available in the
USA.

I live in the next county to Worcestershire.

I cook for myself and use a small bottle in two or three weeks.

But as for your subsidiary use on ground rods I hope they're made of
carbon.
Ordinary metals are less resistant to attack than my stomach lining.
----
Reg, G4FGQ

Lea & Perrins is the ONLY Worcestershre sauce! ;-)

Most of wouldn't waste it on ground rods, but I'm sure Bob thought that too
funny not to at least try.

Jack

In article ,
"Reg Edwards" wrote:

Interesting to know Lea & Perrins Worcester Sauce is available in the USA.

It is available in any Food Store in the country, and most food eateries.


Me who use it to marinate my Dead Cooked Cow.