Driving ground rod with bucket?

   / Driving ground rod with bucket? #31  
electric_fence_circuit__man1.jpg

This pictures shows the "normal" path that "shock" current takes in its LOOP from the fencer's "hot terminal" to it's "earth terminal". Using earth for a major part of the loop circuit. When the ground is dry and a poor conductor (with high resistance) the current is reduced.

Now imagine if a grounded conductor (connected from the fencers "earth terminal" and nearby ground rod is connected (not insulated) to every steel post. The arrows representing current flowing through the ground only needs to travel to the nearest post (in actuality would travel to many of the nearest posts through multiple paths). Thus dry ground or poor soil isn't that big of a deal.
 
   / Driving ground rod with bucket? #32  
FWIW...A simple rod driver can be made by welding 10# sledge hammer head to a section of 1.5" iron pipe...
 
   / Driving ground rod with bucket? #33  
With 1/2" ground rod, going into sand, within 50' of my compressor, I've used one of these (no bit, the end slips over the 1/2" ground rod):

Air Hammer.PNG

Walked it in like nothing. Your soil conditions may vary...
 
   / Driving ground rod with bucket? #35  
I saw one of these in action today:
IMG_0106__45131.1449266832.1280.1280.jpg

A parking lot stripping and sign outfit was using it to drive sign posts. Put it on top of the post, swing the post upright, and it went right in. The lower controls let the operator run it with the power head overhead on top of the post. Very slick.
 
   / Driving ground rod with bucket? #36  
Guess I cheated when I drove my 2 9ft rods.
I borrowed a Kango climbed on a step ladder and rode the rods down, and I had hardpan as a soil.
Each rod took all of 4-5 mins to sink.
One took a bit longer and I suspect I either split a rock or that rod might be somewhat bent from going around a bigger one.
 
   / Driving ground rod with bucket? #37  
View attachment 567645

This pictures shows the "normal" path that "shock" current takes in its LOOP from the fencer's "hot terminal" to it's "earth terminal". Using earth for a major part of the loop circuit. When the ground is dry and a poor conductor (with high resistance) the current is reduced.

Now imagine if a grounded conductor (connected from the fencers "earth terminal" and nearby ground rod is connected (not insulated) to every steel post. The arrows representing current flowing through the ground only needs to travel to the nearest post (in actuality would travel to many of the nearest posts through multiple paths). Thus dry ground or poor soil isn't that big of a deal.

It is really the voltage that matters, bugger all current and very short, or we all would be dropping dead......
 

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