On Fri, 04 Jun 2004 04:28:48 GMT, Irv Finkleman
wrote:
It's actually very
simple and I'm surprised at all the discussion.

Hi Irv,

You must've forgotten all the elaborate discussion from Reggie about
how much time the rod needs to become intimate with the surrounding
mud (the same mud whose carefully crafted RF recipe remains a secret
hidden beneath his apron).

Strangely enough, the topic bears all the mystique of the aging of
wine in charcoal casks. Can you imagine the argument turning on if
you disturb the bottle - er - ground rod, it could stir up the
sediment or make the vintage go corky? Ever try to decant a bottle
with a loop of chain and a bumper jack? (Actually I think we tried
that with a jug of Sangria along the Russian River north of 'Frisco
back in '69.)

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC

If you use 5/8 inch garden hose, just slip the hose over the top of the rod
and turn on the water. As the flowing water digs around the rod, keep
pushing the hose farther down along the rod (and into the ground). After you
have about 4 feet of hose into the ground, the rod can be lifted out by
hand.
--
-larry
K8UT
"Gary Boyer" wrote in message
...
I have two ground rods I am thinking about moving to another location, is
this practical or would it be easier to just poundem in the ground and buy
new rods....does anyone have an easy method for taking the rods out of the
ground...I am not interested in building any equipment to do this removal
project...please advise..thanks..Gary, K8BY

Just wanted to mention that at N6RK in the CA central
valley, we have "cemented hard pan". Like regular hard
pan, only it's water proof. It will stall a D9 Cat if you
try to plow it. We tried all the techniques for rod removal
suggested including soaking it with drip irrigation for
2 weeks. A pipe wrench simply twists the rod, like
a torsion bar. The bottom part doesn't budge. Anyway,
around here, once they're in, they ain't coming out. BTW,
to get it in, it goes in 1/16 of an inch for each hit of a
T-post driver, if you're lucky.

Rick

"Larry Gauthier (K8UT)" wrote in message
...
If you use 5/8 inch garden hose, just slip the hose over the top of the
rod
and turn on the water. As the flowing water digs around the rod, keep
pushing the hose farther down along the rod (and into the ground). After
you
have about 4 feet of hose into the ground, the rod can be lifted out by
hand.
--
-larry
K8UT
"Gary Boyer" wrote in message
...
I have two ground rods I am thinking about moving to another location,
is
this practical or would it be easier to just poundem in the ground and
buy
new rods....does anyone have an easy method for taking the rods out of
the
ground...I am not interested in building any equipment to do this
removal
project...please advise..thanks..Gary, K8BY

If there's enough sticking up to drive it down about a 1/2" or so that'll
loosen it so you jack it out with a bumper jack. If not dig a moat around it
to get room. Friction of a small chain wrapped around a few times should
hold it, use a small plank if the soil is soft to keep the jack ffrom
sinking.. Lubing the moat with water the day before will help.

--
73
Hank WD5JFR


"Gary Boyer" wrote in message
...
I have two ground rods I am thinking about moving to another location, is
this practical or would it be easier to just poundem in the ground and buy
new rods....does anyone have an easy method for taking the rods out of the
ground...I am not interested in building any equipment to do this removal
project...please advise..thanks..Gary, K8BY

Pound 'em down (say 4-6" below surface, then backfill the hole) and buy new
ones.

They're cheap and if they've been in the ground any time they'll 1) probably
be hard as hell to pull and 2) probably have corroded to the point where new
ones would be well worth the $.

73,
Carl - wk3c

"Gary Boyer" wrote in message
...
I have two ground rods I am thinking about moving to another location, is
this practical or would it be easier to just poundem in the ground and buy
new rods....does anyone have an easy method for taking the rods out of the
ground...I am not interested in building any equipment to do this removal
project...please advise..thanks..Gary, K8BY

Pound 'em down (say 4-6" below surface, then backfill the hole) and buy
new
ones.

They're cheap and if they've been in the ground any time they'll 1)
probably
be hard as hell to pull and 2) probably have corroded to the point where
new
ones would be well worth the $.

73,
Carl - wk3c

Agreed. If the idea is to pound in the old rod somewhere else, and is
intended for radio ground purposes only, then it is much better left where
it is. A single ground rod is practically useless for radio purposes.
Unless immersed in salt sea water it is equivalent to a single shallow
buried radial wire of slightly greater length. Just measure the resistance
of one in average sort of soil at about 2 MHz. Use a hand-held antenna
analyser on the impedance range and a bottom-loaded resonant vertical
antenna. Or mess about with a pair of rods spaced apart 3 times their
depth. You can crudely estimate local soil resistivity (or conductivity) by
such means. Kneeling down, however, to read the meter in cold damp stoney
soil can result in house-maid's knees. If you are short-sighted, as I am,
then you have to lie on your belly. Keep all test leads short. The
arithmetic is fairly simple. I can't understand why so many of you have
never done it.
===
Reg, G4FGQ

A fence pold remover can be used. One can be had at Home Depot or Lowes for
several "clams"

--
"Gary Boyer" wrote in message
...
I have two ground rods I am thinking about moving to another location, is
this practical or would it be easier to just poundem in the ground and buy
new rods....does anyone have an easy method for taking the rods out of the
ground...I am not interested in building any equipment to do this removal
project...please advise..thanks..Gary, K8BY

If you have or know someone who has a "handy man" jack they work great for
pulling ground rods, have done it many times.

K7SAM