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bad ground....



    Well, I'm still gathering parts, (and the green stuff), but I'm
piecemealing together things here and there.  A few days ago, I had a free
hour, so I sunk myself a 10' copper pipe at the corner of my garage.  I'd
just finished sinking it when it got dark.  The next day I hooked up a 12/30
NST and checked to see if I could draw an arc to the ground.  Yep.  I got
about a 1" arc going with no trouble at all.  But here's the
problem....Today, I go out and tried again (was checking out a spark-gap
idea and torturing the trashbag-cap, which hasn't died yet, btw), and I got
the sorriest looking excuse for a ground signal you can see.  I don't even
think it qualifies as a ground.  Maybe just a "difference in potential"
Anyways, I don't know why it worked fine yesterday and not today.  I'll try
again tomorrow, but don' t know if it'll change.

  It *did* rain today for a little bit, but I thought that would *increase*
the grounding ability (dry vs wet sand)  Oh, yeah, that's another problem.
Here in florida, we don't have dirt.  everything is just sand.  Do I need to
scrape up some more change and go get a few more 10' rods and sink 'em?  I
don't have a waterpipe easily available for grounding to, and don't want
to'cause I *know* that's the house ground.  Can't salt the ground out there
(the poor grass is dying as is.....).
    Ideas?  Questions?    THanks :)


Sundog - blue wire...blue wire....BZZZT!  Oh, yeah, i'm colorblind!