Phil, get a piece of PVC or ABS pipe, large enough to slide the ground rod
into. Glue an adapter to the pipe that will allow you to connect it to a
garden hose. With the ground rod inside the pipe, turn the water on, and
let it drill the ground rod in for you. Unless we're talking solid rock,
this works pretty well even with hardpan.

Uh, BTW, what are you grounding?

73,
Mike KI6PR
El Rancho R.F., CA

"Northern Lights" wrote
I have a mundane question.

Does anyone have suggestions for installing ground rods in rocky soil?
The
topsoil on my property tends to be very shallow, at times only 12 in.
deep.
I would rather use earth ground and not go the route of an artificial
ground.

I think I know the answer to my question but wanted to see if anyone out
there had a silver bullet solution.

Phil, K4NE

Mikey wrote:

Phil, get a piece of PVC or ABS pipe, large enough to slide the ground rod
into. Glue an adapter to the pipe that will allow you to connect it to a
garden hose. With the ground rod inside the pipe, turn the water on, and
let it drill the ground rod in for you. Unless we're talking solid rock,
this works pretty well even with hardpan.

Uh, BTW, what are you grounding?

73,
Mike KI6PR
El Rancho R.F., CA

"Northern Lights" wrote

I have a mundane question.

Does anyone have suggestions for installing ground rods in rocky soil?

The

topsoil on my property tends to be very shallow, at times only 12 in.

deep.

I would rather use earth ground and not go the route of an artificial
ground.

I think I know the answer to my question but wanted to see if anyone out
there had a silver bullet solution.

I hear people speaking of simply laying wire on the ground being better
than a rod type ground.

Is this serious? I'm trying to envision this, and even if it works
electrically, it seems like rather dangerous advice in many ways.

- Mike KB3EIA -

Mike,
Yes, it's serious, many times a ground radial system
will be 'better' than a ground rod(s). Given the rocky
ground as in the original post, a radial system would be
much preferable to ground rods.
Given that you get the wires deep enough to be missed
by the lawn mower, what's so dangerous about it?
'Doc

Two possibilities:

1. Try a ground plate. They have the same surface area as the rod, but you
still have to bury it. However, you will still have to find an area you can
dig a hole 1' x 1.5' x (as deep as you can get it, but deeper than 3' should
not be necessary.) How is the moisture in the earth? If it's dry, you have
yet another problem.

2. Buy a 1/2" x 10' copper pipe, thick wall. Solder on a tee (sideways) and
cap the top side, and mount a hose fitting on the perpendicular opening and
attach your garden hose. Cut the 'drilling' end of the pipe off on a slight
angle. (30 degrees?) Now, use a rubber mallet and some finesse, turn on the
water and see if you can coax it down as far as possible. If you hit a big
flat rock surface, you're buggered, but if with a little luck you might get
at least 8+ feet of it into the earth.

Good luck!

Pat

'Doc wrote:


Mike,
Yes, it's serious, many times a ground radial system
will be 'better' than a ground rod(s). Given the rocky
ground as in the original post, a radial system would be
much preferable to ground rods.
Given that you get the wires deep enough to be missed
by the lawn mower, what's so dangerous about it?
'Doc

If it is under the surface, then no problem. But I'm referring to the
laying the wires on the ground comment I've heard of a few times here.
And that would be dangerous for people crossing the lawn, and myself,
after the XYL is done with me! 8^)

- Mike KB3EIA -

Simply lay the wires on the ground. Take old coat hangers and cut 6" pieces
from them. Fold in half and place over the radial wire stapling it to the
ground. By next spring you will not be able to find a wire let alone trip
over it.


"Mike Coslo" wrote in message
t...
'Doc wrote:


Mike,
Yes, it's serious, many times a ground radial system
will be 'better' than a ground rod(s). Given the rocky
ground as in the original post, a radial system would be
much preferable to ground rods.
Given that you get the wires deep enough to be missed
by the lawn mower, what's so dangerous about it?
'Doc

If it is under the surface, then no problem. But I'm referring to the
laying the wires on the ground comment I've heard of a few times here.
And that would be dangerous for people crossing the lawn, and myself,
after the XYL is done with me! 8^)

- Mike KB3EIA -