Fish tape as counterpoise?

[2RT307]

I picked up a fish tape ultra cheap on clearance at a local Ace Hardware. It is pretty hefty metal, and I was thinking it might make a good counterpoise. Sure would be easy to snake it through the grass. Any reason why it wouldn't work?

73,
Brett

 

[vkrules]

Excuse my ignorance What's a fish tape?

 

[HomerBB]

It's a high tension, semi-flexible, steel tape that is used to pull electrical wire through conduit.

It could be, but would likely rust degrading it as a long term component.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

It's a conductor therefore it will work. Why you would want to use it instead of a piece or preferably several pieces of copper wire as a groundplane/counterpoise is beyond me however. Copper wire is found as scrap everywhere and will not rust and is easily soldered too. Personally I would rather spend $5-10 for copper wire to use as a counterpoise than free steel wire/fish tape. YMMV.

 

[2RT307]

It's a conductor therefore it will work. Why you would want to use it instead of a piece or preferably several pieces of copper wire as a groundplane/counterpoise is beyond me however. Copper wire is found as scrap everywhere and will not rust and is easily soldered too. Personally I would rather spend $5-10 for copper wire to use as a counterpoise than free steel wire/fish tape. YMMV.

I was mainly thinking it would be fairly easy to work it through/under the grass in my yard compared to copper wire. Hadn't really thought about the rust factor. Thanks for the input.

73,
Brett

 

[RatsoW8]

I was mainly thinking it would be fairly easy to work it through/under the grass in my yard compared to copper wire. Hadn't really thought about the rust factor. Thanks for the input.

73,
Brett

Brett,

I used over 40 radials in my back yard under my 20m vertical. I think it's #12 vinyl covered copper wire from Lowes. Terminal lug on one end and a small loop on the other end of each wire. The terminal end connects to the ground plate at the base of the antenna. Run the end with the loop straight out and secure it into the ground with one one of those cheap U shaped landscape cloth anchors. If you do it in the spring, by the time the grass grows enough to mow the wire is almost invisible. A month later it's covered in thatch and you'll never see it again.

 

[K6CPO]

I was mainly thinking it would be fairly easy to work it through/under the grass in my yard compared to copper wire. Hadn't really thought about the rust factor. Thanks for the input.

73,
Brett

Since the fish tape is designed for pulling wire, why not use it to pull copper wire through the grass in your yard?

 

[Moleculo]

Since the fish tape is designed for pulling wire, why not use it to pull copper wire through the grass in your yard?

That's an excellent idea.