RE: frozen ground ground

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Lau, Gary by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <Gary.Lau-at-hp-dot-com>

The problem with the water-hose-through-the-pipe trick is that it tends to 
wash the dirt and silt away, leaving only rock and pebbles in contact with 
the pipe.  This results in a very poor connection to the earth.

I would not imagine that frozen earth would be nearly so troublesome as 
rocks.  A good sledge hammer should persuade a steel ground rod right 
through the frost line, if rocks are not an issue.

Gary Lau
MA, USA




Original poster: "kent by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" 
<toyhatsu-at-pcisys-dot-net>

Matt,

I can't remember who I got this from (maybe a Richard Quick post) and I
appologise to that person.  Use a 6-8 foot piece of 1/2 or 3/4 inch copper
water pipe and lead solder a standard copper faucet connection on the end.
Attach a garden hose to the connection  and the other end to a hot water tap
(for winter).  If I remember right it is very easy to push the copper pipe
in the ground as the water displaces the dirt on the way down.

Hope this helps,
Kent


  > I'm wanting to ground my tesla coil but because of the time of year, there
is
  > no way of driving a stake into the ground or even turning some earth to
put a
  > piece of flashing in. Also I don't know if the frozen ground would act too
  > well
  > of a ground anyway. How would you guys suggest I ground my coil? I was
  > thinking
  > about driving 20 or 30 really long nails into a piece of plywood then
  > connecting them all on the top of the board. I would then place that on
the
  > ground and jump on it or something to push into into the earth at least
some.
  > Does anyone think that might work? If not, do any of you have a suggestion
of
  > how I might ground the coil?
  >
  > Matt Morrissette
  >
  >