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Old 10-06-2012, 06:34 PM   #12
NN5I
Carl, nn5i
 
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Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Tallahassee, FL
Posts: 1,441
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A ground rod, whether 8' long or 80' long, is a really miserable RF ground -- effectively it's not a ground at all at RF, though it may be minimally useful for DC or for 60 Hz if you need a ground for those.

But if you feel you must have something driven into the ground, it's much easier (and quieter) to do what I do: I use an assembly of fittings from Home Depot to attach a water hose to the end of a 5' or 10' piece of inch-and-a-quarter pipe; turn on the water; stand the pipe up; and watch it sink into the ground by its own weight. It works in most kinds of soil, though not all. I don't do this for a ground, though; I do it in order to have a pipe sticking out of the ground to mount antennas on.
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