Buried Copper Wire {Flexible} Ground Rod without a Hard Rod.

TIP - If your are installing a Sprinkler System in your Yard
or under your Lawn Area.

Then install a # 8 AWG Bare Copper Wire at the bottom of
the open Trenches.

Starting with 50 Feet of # 8 AWG Bare Copper Wire
* Cut the Wire in Half at the Mid-Point = Two 25 Ft pieces.
* Take one of the 25 Ft pieces and Cut this Wire in Half
at the Mid-Point = Two 12.5 Ft pieces.
* Take one of the 12.5 Ft pieces and Fold it in two =
One Double 6.25 Ft piece.
* Take the Three pieces of wire and bundle then together
with the Four Cut Ends Flush.
* Affix a Hose Clap Near this Flush-Ends and another
Hose Clamp about 2" from the Flush-End.
* Starting just below the Second Hose Wrap the Bundled
Wires with Tape for about 6" to 8".

Starting at the location (The-Spot) where you want the
Ground Wire Bundle to connect to the House and/or
Antenna being placing the Wire Bundle with the Flush-End
at The-Spot and continue to lay the Wire Bundle into the
Trench covering as much length and area as you can.

Salt the Earth at the bottom of the Trench.

Install your Sprinkler System.

Fill the open Trench with Dirt and Water and tamp down.

http://www.davisrf.com/ham1/grndwire.htm
http://www.1stopelectronics.com/size-wire.htm
http://www.epanorama.net/documents/w...esistance.html

something to think about - iane ~ RHF

RHF wrote:
Buried Copper Wire {Flexible} Ground Rod without a Hard Rod.

I have a hard time putting this message into any context, but I
*think* you're talking about what the rest of the world calls a
"radial". Usually these are arranged, well, radially, but even if
there's just one it's colloquially called a radial (I think
"counterpoise" may be more correct.)

Tim.

Watch the salt, though - it'll wreck your lawn if you use too much.

Bruce Jensen

RHF wrote:

Buried Copper Wire {Flexible} Ground Rod without a Hard Rod.

TIP - If your are installing a Sprinkler System in your Yard
or under your Lawn Area.

Then install a # 8 AWG Bare Copper Wire at the bottom of
the open Trenches.

Starting with 50 Feet of # 8 AWG Bare Copper Wire
* Cut the Wire in Half at the Mid-Point = Two 25 Ft pieces.
* Take one of the 25 Ft pieces and Cut this Wire in Half
at the Mid-Point = Two 12.5 Ft pieces.
* Take one of the 12.5 Ft pieces and Fold it in two =
One Double 6.25 Ft piece.
* Take the Three pieces of wire and bundle then together
with the Four Cut Ends Flush.
* Affix a Hose Clap Near this Flush-Ends and another
Hose Clamp about 2" from the Flush-End.
* Starting just below the Second Hose Wrap the Bundled
Wires with Tape for about 6" to 8".

Starting at the location (The-Spot) where you want the
Ground Wire Bundle to connect to the House and/or
Antenna being placing the Wire Bundle with the Flush-End
at The-Spot and continue to lay the Wire Bundle into the
Trench covering as much length and area as you can.

Salt the Earth at the bottom of the Trench.

Install your Sprinkler System.

Fill the open Trench with Dirt and Water and tamp down.

http://www.davisrf.com/ham1/grndwire.htm
http://www.1stopelectronics.com/size-wire.htm
http://www.epanorama.net/documents/w...esistance.html

something to think about - iane ~ RHF
.
All are WELCOME and "Invited to Join" the
Shortwave Listener (SWL) Antenna eGroup on YAHOO !
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortwave-SWL-Antenna/
SWL ANTENNAS GROUP = http://tinyurl.com/an6tw
.
Some Say: On A Clear Day You Can See Forever.
I Believe : On A Clear Night You Can Hear Forever
. . . and Beyond , , , The BEYOND ! ! !
With a Shortwave Listening Antenna of your own making.
"If You Build It {SWL Antenna} You Will Hear Them !"
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortwave-SWL-Antenna/
SWL ANTENNAS GROUP = http://tinyurl.com/an6tw
.
.
. .
.


Sounds good. Test.

Tim,

Yes a more common name would be a Radial.
Although, in most instances a Ground Radial
is often connected to a Ground Rod.

The Counterpoise is usually required to lay
directly below the Wire Antenna Element.

What 'i' have called a Buried Copper Wire
{Flexible} Ground Rod without a Hard Rod :
Ends up being Four # 8 AWG Bare Copper
Wires {= 0 AWG} for 6.25 Feet that tapers
into Two # 8 AWG {= 4 AWG} Bare Copper
Wires {= 0 AWG} for another 6.25 Feet that
tapers into One # 8 AWG Bare Copper Wires
{= 8 AWG} for 12.5 Feet that tapers for a
Total Length of 25 Feet.

X
|_________________________ 25Ft.
|_____________ 12.5Ft.
|_______ 6.25Ft.
|_______ 6.25Ft.

IMHO - This Four Wire Buried Copper Wire
{Flexible} Ground Rod Set-Up can be as
effective as a Solid Ground Rod that is 8 Feet
Long and driven vertically 8 Feet deep in to
the Ground Soil. In some areas it may be more
effect.

The [KEY] to the whole set-up is "If" you
are doing all the work of digging trenches
for an in-the-ground Sprinkler System.
Then 'Why Not' also place a Buried Copper
Wire {Flexible} Ground Rod Set-Up in the
trenches and make use of the already pre-
expended labor ! ;-}
Note - The Deeper the Trenches the better
12"-18" is better than 6"-8".

Ground Conductivity :
There is a 'key' Advantage to this Buried
Copper Wire {Flexible} Ground Rod Set-Up
in that the Sprinkler System generally helps
to maintain a moist under-soil around the
Ground Rod {Wires} and the overall Ground
Conductivity is very effective 24&7 )

in an imperfect world . . .
this is just another grounding option
cause after all - iane ~ RHF

BpnJ,

Specifically for the Buried Copper Wire {Flexible} Ground Rod
without a Hard Rod Set-Up in the Sprinkler System Trenches :
With Trenches 12" to 18" Deep a light coating (a very thin 1/4"
layer that is 4"to 6" wide) of the Mixture of 1/2 "Bentonite"
(Clay Kitty litter); 1/3 Epson Salt; and 1/6 Copper Sulfate
would be adequate. { Enhance the Soil Conductivity -not-
Over-Kill the Lawn } Most of the time 'things-in-the-soil'
leach out and down and not up.

READ - Great Ground with Kitten Litter [ Bentonite ]
- by Guy Atkins on HCDX - August 10, 2000
http://www.hard-core-dx.com/nordicdx...bentonite.html
Bentonite is great for getting an excellent conductive ground.

"GROUND ROD SOIL MIXTURE"
My General Recommendation for Ground Rod Soil is to take
the Original Soil from the Ground Rod Hole or Trench and
create a "50 / 50 Mixture" of original Soil (50%) and the
other (50%) made up of these parts of 1/2 "Bentonite" (clay
kitty litter); 1/3 Epson Salt; and 1/6 Copper Sulfate works
well 'in-the-ground' around ground rod. Then Repeatly Water
this down and 'tamp-it-down' lightly over the next few days.

NOTE - This 'assumes' that you first use a Post Hole Digger
to dig a 6"-8" Hole Two to Four Feet Deep and then pound
the Ground Rod into the Hole. Once the Ground Rod is fully
driven Seven to Eight Feet Deep. Then Fill the Upper Post
Hole Section with this Ground Rod Soil Mixture.


hope this clarifies a few things - iane ~ RHF