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Re: Ground system

Subject:       Re: Ground system
      Date:   Fri, 30 May 1997 22:18:38 +0000
      From:   David Euans <davide-at-exit1.i-55-dot-com>
        To:   Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
References:   1


Tesla List wrote:
> 
> Subject:   Ground system
>   Date:  Fri, 30 May 1997 11:52:36 -0400 (EDT)
>   From: Esondrmn-at-aol-dot-com
>     To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> 
> When I set up my coil out in the driveway the other day, I found a
> problem
> with
> my ground set up.  I have three 8' ground rods buried in a triangle
> formation
> with 8' between each rod.  I have all three interconnected with
> galvanized
> steel
> roof flashing which is soldered to each ground rod.  There is about a 6"
> wide
> strip
> of this flashing that I bring up to the coil and use two heavy clamps to
> clamp to
> a similar sized ground strip coming from the coil.  When I buried
> everything,
> I covered it all with about 100 lbs of salt pellets which I thought
> would
> help keep
> the earth nice and conductive for a while.  This ground set up is buried
> in
> the
> gravel driveway and I have cement blocks over the ground tab that I fold
> up
> to
> connect to the coil.  When I dug this up the other day, I found the
> galvanized
> steel to be quite corroded.  This galvanizing must be thin and the salt
> is
> killing
> it.
> 
> I remember at the time Richard Quick suggested interconnecting the
> ground
> rods with aluminum flashing and using Alumilox (conductive grease) at
> the
> joint
> of the copper and aluminum.  Then using hose clamps to bind them
> together.
> I wish I would have followed his advice.  What is everyone else doing?
> I may
> dig it all up and re-do it.  I would like to use about 3" wide copper.
> Does
> any-
> one know where I might find some?
> 
> I used hard carriage returns in this document as a test.
> 
> Ed Sonderman
Ed,

I used 16 oz. copper roofing material that I bought at a local (New
Orleans) metal supplier.  It came in a 3 ft X 10 ft roll ($55), so it
took a bit of cutting.  I used 6 inch by 8 ft. long strips to connect my
four ground rods.  The copper seems to have held up very well.  The
ground system terminates in a small sprinkler system valve box which
makes a nice neat way to keep it covered up.