Mobile Ground Rod

• To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
• Subject: Mobile Ground Rod
• From: "Gregory R. Hunter" <ghunter-at-enterprise-dot-net> (by way of "Terry Fritz (moderator)" <twf-at-verinet-dot-com>)
• Date: Fri, 04 Dec 1998 11:17:52 -0700
• Approved: twf-at-verinet-dot-com

For those wanting a quick & easy ground rod for mobile/portable coiling, I
have a trick I learned from a ham radio nut.  Get a 10' length of the
cheapest kind of 1/2" or 3/4" straight copper pipe at Home Depot, Ace
Hardware, etc.  Force a garden hose repair coupler into one end.  Couple
the garden hose to it, turn it on low, get up on a step ladder, and push
the pipe into the ground.  If the soil isn't too stony, the pipe will sink
into the earth with little effort as the water flow displaces soil.  If it
won't start, cut a little hole in the sod to help it.  If you hit a rock,
pull out & try another angle.  A slanted ground rod works as good as a
vertical one!  Once you turn off the water, the pipe will set tight in the
wet ground in a few seconds.  You can pull it out by turning the water on
again.  I've used this trick a few times to make hasty HF antenna grounds.

Happy Sparking--Merry Christmas!

Greg Hunter
N5QMR/G0WCV

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