Re: [TCML] Using tree as RF ground

[Peggy Day <mmjday@xxxxxxx>]

I would not expect a tree to provide a sufficient ground, and plants
typically do not survive high voltages.

Your house has a 220V service line coming into the house.  Typically, there
is a grounding rod driven into the ground at this location.  You probably
you be best off driving in your dedicated ground nearby to that one.  As
there is one ground rod, I would expect the soil in that region to be
sufficiently soft for another.  Alternatively, I suppose you could use your
house ground, however, I would advise against that as all of your household
electronics are directly connected.

Has anyone used a counterpoise as a floating ground?  If so, what were the
dimensions?  I recall reading that someone once used a twin coil as a
floating ground with some success.  Effectively, just a 1/2 wave coil with a
conventional driven 1/4 wave coil.  As I recall, the "ground" lead was hot.

Yours truly,

Mike Day


> From: Dave Leddon <dave@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Reply-To: Tesla Coil Mailing List <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2012 09:40:09 -0700
> To: Tesla Coil Mailing List <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [TCML] Using tree as RF ground
> 
> Hi all,
> I have recently moved to a new house which, as near as I can tell,
> sits on top of a granite hill.  I've tried pounding in an eight-foot
> ground rod at various locations only to hit impenetrable soil at a
> depth of about one to two feet.  The property has numerous large pine
> trees with diameters ranging up to 4 feet and it occurred to me that
> such a tree might make a great RF ground by driving a spike into the
> trunk near the base.  Does anybody have experience using trees for
> grounding Tesla Coils and is there any likelihood that the current
> could damage the tree?
> Dave
> 
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