Re: RF ground - what if you can't use a ground rod?

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: Ed Phillips <evp@xxxxxxxxxxx>

"If I had a ground nearly impossible to pound a rod into, I would simply
lay
down a flat plate and use it as the ground plane. I actually keep a
round
plate for "outside" coil measurement projects. There are a lot of flat
plate large objects out there which would suit well as a ground plane.
As a
matter of fact, hardware stores sell a large metal pan for water heaters
(I
think). Seems they were maybe 30 or so inches in diameter. I bet they
are
reasonably priced as well.

Take care,
Bart"

	In ham radio days before WW1, when spark was king, the recommendation
was get some copper clothes boilers (wonder if any of those are still
around) and bury them in a pit with a lot of copper sulfate (blue
vitriol) or just plain salt.  In really dry soil like we have here I
don't know whether that would help much or not.  At least some guys
understood antenna theory well enough to put up big counterpoise systems
at house-top levels to go along with their 150 foot towers holding an
umbrella of wires.  There were maniacs in those days too!

Ed