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Re: [TowerTalk] Driving ground rods in rocky soil

To: towertalk@contesting.com, w2irt@comcast.net
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Driving ground rods in rocky soil
From: K7LXC@aol.com
Date: Thu, 24 May 2007 20:28:18 EDT
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
 
In a message dated 5/24/2007 2:48:30 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,  
towertalk-request@contesting.com writes:

>  4 hours of back-breaking labour has resulted in my being  able to get 
a ground rod down 14" using a 10# hand sledge. My soil is  extremely 
rocky and this rod MUST go in within a foot of a 100+ year old  oak 
(for a K9AY loop - Gary sez it must be right at the base). I don't  
know if I'm hitting roots or rock, but I can tell you I'll do 
anything  or pay anything to get this driven in, no questions asked. 
I've tried 6  tool rental places, Home Depots, etc, and nobody rents 
ground rod driving  tools in this part of the state (no idea why, they 
just  don't).

>  I've come this close to hospitalizing myself over  this project and 
don't know where to turn. I've run the hose for two hours  and it 
loosens up that top foot of earth real easy. I've tried driving it  
within about a 2' circle and the best I can do anywhere else is about  
6: before hitting something.

>  Is there a trick to getting  this done that I can try, or am I looking 
at hiring a heavy construction  firm for thousands of dollars?
 
Dear Glutton For Punishment - 


    Ouch! You should've spent 15 minutes going thru  the TT archives at 
contesting.com. There are several ways to do it. Off the  top of my head I 
think 
one of the better ideas was to rent an impact drill. As  I recall (check the 
archives) there's a special bit you can get for ground  rods. It'll hammer them 
in. 
 
    If it's that rocky, I'd have put the ground  rod(s) in horizontally. 
That'll still give you a good earth connection.  

Cheers,
Steve     K7LXC
TOWER TECH 








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