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salting the ground around a antenna

  • Thread starter Thread starter BOOTY MONSTER
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BOOTY MONSTER

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FWIU a person would need to have a high salt content over a large area under a antenna for it to have any real effect . i'm not thinking of doing that , but i'm curious about the corrosive aspect of that . wouldn't the salt eat at any metal in the ground , like the mast or ground rods/wires/straps ?
 

Not to mention how that salt content in the soil would affect plants, grass, etc.

You wouldn't want to ruin your grass - right Booty?

Some areas just have better grounding properties than others.
 
Everytime it rains it will just wash it deeper into the soil, so you would have to keep pouring it in.
Out here in CA I believe rock salt over a certain quainty is considered a tree hugger hazard.....so if you get caught pouring large amounts into the ground you will get dinged for screwing up the ground water or something.
Just have your local well drilling company come out and put in enought well casing to get you below the water table in your area and you will be good to go.......nothing like a couple hundred feet of 6 inch well casing into the earth for a good ground.

73
Jeff
 
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It takes lots of salt over a wide area to make any appriciable differences in ground conductivity. It is also not permanent, it will wash out, and where do you think it'll go. I hope your neighbors are 'understanding'. If you really want to improve the grounds conductivity try adding metal. That metal can take several forms, wire radials, powdered, small 'chunks', etc. All things considered, those wire radial tend to have the least detrimental affects.
And contrary to popular belief, deeper isn't better, by any means.
- 'Doc
 
W5LZ said:
It takes lots of salt over a wide area to make any appriciable differences in ground conductivity. It is also not permanent, it will wash out, and where do you think it'll go. I hope your neighbors are 'understanding'. If you really want to improve the grounds conductivity try adding metal. That metal can take several forms, wire radials, powdered, small 'chunks', etc. All things considered, those wire radial tend to have the least detrimental affects.
And contrary to popular belief, deeper isn't better, by any means.
- 'Doc
Click to expand...

1-4 inches below surface is fine for ground radials.
though "salting " does help in times of draught by keeping a moisture content to soil for better rf tranmission to earth
 
WELCOME TO THE FORUM Mr.5150cbrn :D


i recall someone giving a tip that a pizza cutting wheel is great for making a little trough to bury wires in . i've also read about folks in very rocky areas that you just can't get a ground rod in using multiple wires just under the dirt surface for earth grounding
 
Ground radials are easy to install.

This is the perfect time of the year in the midwest to install them.

  1. Cut your grass as low as possible
  2. Stretch the radials out in a bicycle spoke fasion along the ground
  3. Use yard staples to hold the radials as close to the ground as possible. I bought them at Ace Hardware ( DX Engineering sells desovling staples )
  4. Do not cut the grass for as long as you can get away with ( with it being fall, I did not have to cut the grass until the following year ) This let the wire settle in, the snow over the winter held it down and by the following spring when the grass finally started growing, the wire was well packed to the ground.

I have used this method on two things.

First, radials for my antenna

Second, I have an underground fence for my dogs. The directions show laying the wire on the ground with the yard staples as an option. It works.

As a bonus, I did not have to cut the grass for a few weeks while it grows around the wire holding it in place. :thumbup::thumbup:
 
BOOTY MONSTER said:
FWIU a person would need to have a high salt content over a large area under a antenna for it to have any real effect . i'm not thinking of doing that , but i'm curious about the corrosive aspect of that . wouldn't the salt eat at any metal in the ground , like the mast or ground rods/wires/straps ?
Click to expand...


Old wive's tale! Just like parking a mobile next to a pond and throwing a grounding chain from the bumper into the pond.
 

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