Driving 8ft , 5/8" ground rods into rocky soil, Milwaukee to the rescue.

[KC2YOI]

I like the scrap hardline idea. There is a bunch of "deadwood" coax coming my way from an update and ground certification required by the insurance co. at my work.

Al,
 borrow that bad boy like I did !     The tool in the picture is a
straight "chipper hammer", no rotary action.
 
Must be some good pics coming of the command center there 

I'll be on 75 this wknd.

                                        DJ
                                             

[W3RSW]

But whatever transpires with this ground, disconnect it when you go on vacation as well as your station pull all plugs an all connectors leave nothing to make a trail to follow...

Take it from someone who's been hit twice.
73
Jack.

I guess the only reason for doing this when on vacation vs. not doing it for "just a regular storm" is that when on vacation your not around to put out the fires. 

[ka3zlr]

But whatever transpires with this ground, disconnect it when you go on vacation as well as your station pull all plugs an all connectors leave nothing to make a trail to follow...

Take it from someone who's been hit twice.
73
Jack.

I guess the only reason for doing this when on vacation vs. not doing it for "just a regular storm" is that when on vacation your not around to put out the fires.  

Oh Hey Dick,

  Yea sure and something else OM gimme a break will ya.

I guess for whatever reason

73

Jack.

[KC2YOI]

Good timing.
I headed home early from a get together for some face time w/ my radios last night.

Mother nature had other plans in the form of a massive electrical storm here in the Catskill NY area.

Instead of band cruising I had to toss the whole mess out the window, isolate the gear and run out in the rain to bind everything to ground.

I made lemonade out of lemons and sat on the porch with a beverage and watched a crazy HV light show for 40 minutes.

Some real close crashes got the adrenalin goin'!  

[ka3zlr]

Yeah, So what's that mean what's your point man?

[W2PFY]

Hardly anyone uses lighting rods anymore but where I did see them in use, they didn't use ground rods. They just buried the wires in a trench. Some of that multi stranded wire was almost 3/4 inch. Maybe a ditch witch would be in order in some applications?

[ka3zlr]

That's what we did in the BIG barn when I was a Kid Pap wanted to re-roof the big barn with covered tin and
he would put up those Bulb like steeple lightening Rods on the roof at least three and then he used that Cage
copper to run from there to the ditch, which is usually was about 4 to 5 feet long an 3 or 4 feet deep we would
peg the copper down an cover them up.

I asked my Pap one time why aren't we using ground rods he said the less connections the better that's what
the man said give it a straight shot Jack...ok pap we get-r-done.

We did what the man said.

73

Jack.

[KE5YTV]

Sorry to bring back the dead. It's time for me to drive some ground rods. I can borrow a Milwaukee hammer drill. My question, is there an attachment for the drill that holds the rods? What do I need? Thanks 


Mike
KE5YTV

[KL7OF]

Stainless steel spot welds very well...(resistance welding)   Straps can also be joined by drilling a hole(s) in one strap and overlapping onto another and plug welding thru the hole with stick, MIG or TIG using SS electrode..
I don't see any difference (in the way of introducing things forbidden by EPA to the soil) in driving a copper/brass ground rod or burying a copper/brass radiator in the ground....Maybe some lead-tin solder in the radiator, but not much percentage wise compared to the total mass....That said, I also don't think an auto radiator would hold up as long as a good ground rod....especially in hi alkaline or hi acid soils....

[KM8AM]

We bought this hammer drill at Harbor Freight on sale with a 20% off coupon for about $49.

http://www.harborfreight.com/power-tools/hammer-drills/3-in-1-1-inch-sds-rotary-hammer-97743.html

We then cut off the tip of the supplied pointed SDS bit to match the ground rod, slipped a piece of large fuel line over the bit, and held it on with a hose clamp.

Rod fit right inside the hose, and we were off to the races!

Now my XYL, KM8Q, likes to drive the ground rods.

[KE5YTV]

Thanks Ken, That beats buying a "rod driver bit" for $50-$75.

Mike