Hello All,
I've never used one. But I'd like to have one. An 8 foot long copper rod is all I can find. This is impractical and not portable. I know I've seen smaller ones, but where. They are used with portable crystal radios. No place around here sells such a thing. I had to buy a box of 13 galvanized 12" long spikes and use a clip lead because the hardware store doesn't have a clamp small enough to fit. I paid way too much for this.
Where can I find the antenna grounding spike with the clamp?

Thanks,

Dave

Home stores like Lowe's and Home Depot carry standard 8 ft. copper-plated rods and also clamps. If you want shorter, you will have to cut it. A short rod is, of course, less effective and wouldn't meet code for an electrical system ground (hence the standard 8ft. rods). Portable crystal set? Sounds like a lot of compromise involved. Crystal set = long antenna and substantial ground for good performance.

http://makearadio.com/crystal/index.php

Rich

******************************************

:Hello All,
: I've never used one. But I'd like to have one. An 8 foot long copper rod is all I can find. This is impractical and not portable. I know I've seen smaller ones, but where. They are used with portable crystal radios. No place around here sells such a thing. I had to buy a box of 13 galvanized 12" long spikes and use a clip lead because the hardware store doesn't have a clamp small enough to fit. I paid way too much for this.
: Where can I find the antenna grounding spike with the clamp?
:
:Thanks,
:
:Dave

Hello Again All,

Radio Shack sells grounding wire but zero grounding spikes or rods. No other store has ever heard of such a thing and nobody knows what I'm talking about. So I guess I'll have to use one of the landscape nails as a grounding rod, unless anyone knows where I can buy such a thing.

Dave
:Hello All,
: I've never used one. But I'd like to have one. An 8 foot long copper rod is all I can find. This is impractical and not portable. I know I've seen smaller ones, but where. They are used with portable crystal radios. No place around here sells such a thing. I had to buy a box of 13 galvanized 12" long spikes and use a clip lead because the hardware store doesn't have a clamp small enough to fit. I paid way too much for this.
: Where can I find the antenna grounding spike with the clamp?
:
:Thanks,
:
:Dave

:Hello Again All,
:
:Radio Shack sells grounding wire but zero grounding spikes or rods. No other store has ever heard of such a thing and nobody knows what I'm talking about. So I guess I'll have to use one of the landscape nails as a grounding rod, unless anyone knows where I can buy such a thing.
:
:Dave
::Hello All,
:: I've never used one. But I'd like to have one. An 8 foot long copper rod is all I can find. This is impractical and not portable. I know I've seen smaller ones, but where. They are used with portable crystal radios. No place around here sells such a thing. I had to buy a box of 13 galvanized 12" long spikes and use a clip lead because the hardware store doesn't have a clamp small enough to fit. I paid way too much for this.
:: Where can I find the antenna grounding spike with the clamp?
::
::Thanks,
::
::Dave

::Hello Again All,
::ground rods for electric fencers about 48 in long
::Radio Shack sells grounding wire but zero grounding spikes or rods. No other store has ever heard of such a thing and nobody knows what I'm talking about. So I guess I'll have to use one of the landscape nails as a grounding rod, unless anyone knows where I can buy such a thing.
::
::Dave
:::Hello All,
::: I've never used one. But I'd like to have one. An 8 foot long copper rod is all I can find. This is impractical and not portable. I know I've seen smaller ones, but where. They are used with portable crystal radios. No place around here sells such a thing. I had to buy a box of 13 galvanized 12" long spikes and use a clip lead because the hardware store doesn't have a clamp small enough to fit. I paid way too much for this.
::: Where can I find the antenna grounding spike with the clamp?
:::
:::Thanks,
:::
:::Dave

You can purchase grounding rods complete with wire clamp at any farm/ag store that sells electric fence chargers. However, these are at around 36 inches long and you would likely need a T-post puller to remove it, so it would not be all that portable.

I'd have to question the practicality of a ground rod that is only about a foot long. The rod needs to be long enough to penetrate into subsoil that is permanently at least slightly moist, or it won't be of much use.

I have used a suitable length of 1/2 or 3/4 inch copper pipe.

Ed.

Since it's temporary, I don't think the ground needs to be copper. A galvanized 1/2" steel pipe or conduit would be stronger and maybe easier to drive into the ground.

Hardware stores have ground clamps in the electrical section.

To achieve a better ground with a short rod, you can pour a brine solution around the rod and let it soak into the ground.

Dave, Radio Shack used to carry a four foot ground rod with built in clamp. I haven't been to a Shack in a few years though.

Clifton

:Hello All,
: I've never used one. But I'd like to have one. An 8 foot long copper rod is all I can find. This is impractical and not portable. I know I've seen smaller ones, but where. They are used with portable crystal radios. No place around here sells such a thing. I had to buy a box of 13 galvanized 12" long spikes and use a clip lead because the hardware store doesn't have a clamp small enough to fit. I paid way too much for this.
: Where can I find the antenna grounding spike with the clamp?
:
:Thanks,
:
:Dave

:Dave, Radio Shack used to carry a four foot ground rod with built in clamp. I haven't been to a Shack in a few years though.
:
:Clifton
:
:Here is a site that has a ground rod similar to what Radio Shack had:
http://www.solidsignal.com/productview.aspx?p=SKY4GR&d=SOLID-SIGNAL-SKY4GR-GROUND-ROD-4-FEET-SKY4GR&sku=&utm_campaign=base&utm_medium=organic&utm_source=google_base

Also might try Grainger.com.

Clifton

::Hello All,
:: I've never used one. But I'd like to have one. An 8 foot long copper rod is all I can find. This is impractical and not portable. I know I've seen smaller ones, but where. They are used with portable crystal radios. No place around here sells such a thing. I had to buy a box of 13 galvanized 12" long spikes and use a clip lead because the hardware store doesn't have a clamp small enough to fit. I paid way too much for this.
:: Where can I find the antenna grounding spike with the clamp?
::
::Thanks,
::
::Dave

Let's see - - you want something "portable". Anything that requires pounding something into the ground doesn't fit my description of "portable". As Ed stated, any ol' chunk of copper pipe would work (pipe pounds into the ground easily, since the dirt fills the insides). Alligator clip (or jumper cable)clamp would do nicely. When I was a lad, we'd take the "ground" wire of our crystal radios, and clamp 'em to the school bus window latches, and listen to the radio battery-free as long as we liked. If you've got a gas line coming into the house, there's a ground. Ditto copper/iron water lines. Cast-iron sewer pipes will also work. Any nearby stop-sign or chain-link fence post will also work in a pinch. Don't forget that the ground prong of any fairly modern house's outlets will put you in touch with the earth as well.