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Kattracker
| | Posted on Saturday, September 20, 2003 - 11:42 am: | 
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Here is an idea that may work for base station ground plane improvement. I have never tried it but I would appreciate some opinions.
Since mineral content of soil has some effect on ground plane, maybe the following would help.
Auto mechanic shops, especially those who focus on brake and muffler repair, accumulate a lot of metal chips from their brake lathes from machining brake rotors and drums. These metal chips are no bigger than a grain of sand.
Since I did this type of work for over 15 years, I can truly say these shops would gladly give these chips to you for free as they are a pain and also heavy to pick up the catch pan and dump in the dumpster. Usually about 80 Lbs per full pan.
If you do this, bring a large heavy box lined with a heavy trash bag to the auto shops to carry the metal chips in. You could easily get 80 Lbs of chips from one stop.
Okay, here is the idea. Take the chips and put in a fertilizer spreader. Starting at the tower, progessively and methodically start spreading the chips on the lawn, working outward from the tower.
Do this as far as possible and fairly heavy on the amount.
Over a period of time, and several trips to the shops in your leisure time, you could easily cover a large area. For example, a friend of mine has nearly an acre circumferance around his tower.
I wonder what such an area done like this would do as far as performance increase.
Would such a project pay off? Sounds like an unusual idea, but it may make a difference.
Please note. Metal chips from brake shops may contain asbestos dust. Asbestos is usually not used in brake parts anymore, but I would assume there could be potential for exposure anyway and plan accordingly to be safe.
Kattracker |
mikefromms
| | Posted on Saturday, September 20, 2003 - 6:14 pm: |
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How is the friend's set up working since he cover an acre around his tower?
mikefromms |
Ca346
| | Posted on Saturday, September 20, 2003 - 6:16 pm: |
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It might. I have two antenna's that I use. One is a Signal Engineering 4 element Quad sitting up there at 50 ft. The other is a GAP brand antenna, which is a vertical that sits on (in) the ground in a short 2 or 3 ft. plastic tube. But it has 3 radials that lie (lay?) directly on the ground and provide the "thrust". (love that word).
Since I live in the foothills, there is a high mineral content to the soil here. I notice in the Winter time, when the soil is wet, the vertical antenna really BOOMS. My feedback on the vertical, during the Winter is sometimes better than the Lightning 4+.
I have two grounds on the tower. Somebody convinced me to dump rock salt around both grounds and that it supposedly increased conductivity? Nothing negative (corosion) so far, but it's only been 2 years. Maybe it should have been metal shavings?? |
Bigbob
| | Posted on Saturday, September 20, 2003 - 6:26 pm: |
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use cast iron shavings,less chance to get slivers if you or your kids go around in bare feet. |
Bigbob
| | Posted on Saturday, September 20, 2003 - 6:33 pm: |
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To think,all that taconite powder my dad brought home to mix with concrete to make boat anchors,about 500lbs.It's basically powdered iron ore,he collected about 5lbs. at a time over the years,not sure what he was going to do with it,until he retired.Now THAT would make a ground plane. |
Tech833
| | Posted on Saturday, September 20, 2003 - 9:06 pm: |
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Unless all those pieces of metal are bonded together with little wires, it will do nothing except improve your physique. |
Kattracker
| | Posted on Saturday, September 20, 2003 - 11:10 pm: |
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mikefromms,
My friend that has the acre around his tower never tried that idea. But his radio performance is what made me think of such a wild idea.
He lives in Carol County in Indiana, and has been known for his tremendous talking distance ability. I mean this guy can seeming get out consistently better and louder than most people in my town that is about 15 miles from him. And I mean even barefoot, no power needed. He uses an antron and/or a Maco 4 element beam. His radio is just an older transistor Robyn. Model, I do not recall.
It is a well known fact that his area of the county, the soil has a very high mineral content, mainly iron.
I know the idea is far fetched, but I thought the idea was worth posting.
I also thought that since the metal chips are the size of sand, no slivers or sharp pieces, it would be safe and would eventually cause a fairly conductive path in the soil as it breaks down and is absorbed by the soil. I know if that where even possible, it would take ALOT of metal chips, and I mean a big amount. Maybe a couple tons or so.
Anyway, just thought it would be worth considering.
Kattracker |
RCI 2990
| | Posted on Saturday, September 20, 2003 - 11:18 pm: |
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I knew a guy that claimed water softener salt sprinkled around his tower base and his GP mast pipe that was shoved in the ground made his radio and his antenna louder.. LOL it didnt work on my end he still sounded the same 2 blocks away or 10 miles away. |
Bigbob
| | Posted on Sunday, September 21, 2003 - 7:04 am: |
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I think all these guys had a ground radial systems and were purposly throwing you off so they would be the big dogs in the area,just a thought. |
radiodude
| | Posted on Sunday, September 21, 2003 - 4:48 pm: |
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Well dont know about metal shavings. but the first thing every moring we went out to water the antennas at a Intercept site I was stationed at in Germany. The locals thought we were nuts!!! |
ChillyDog
| | Posted on Monday, September 22, 2003 - 10:36 am: |
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radiodude,
Your story reminded me: when doing field exercises in sandy areas, such as deserts and beaches, our typical practice was to use ground rods as "p*ss*ng posts." There were measurable improvements in grounding due to the action of the moisture and salts. The only problem was that no one would pull the posts when we were done. We left grounding rods abandoned all over Southern California, Nevada, and New Mexico!
Regards,
Bob |
Pig040
| | Posted on Monday, September 22, 2003 - 10:53 am: |
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BoB, I know it was a convenient place to relieve yourself, but the desert is full of salt anyway, most of them used to be oceans, so plain ordinary water will do fine. But it is a great guy thing to be able to let it all hang out outside, and draw pictures in the sand, haha |
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