An easy way to achieve ground

**frank1927** · November 19th, 2009, 05:36 PM

Now that winter is fast approaching, we're often faced with trying to get the ground rod in the frozen earth.
I found a simple solution - I carry a 25' spool of wire with a magnet attached. One end clips to my lead & the magnet attaches to an unpainted surface on my truck, i.e. a bolt or the frame.
This works great on those cold, frozen mornings, or when trying to hook up to tracer wire in a parking lot.
Hope this helps

**yahoo** · November 19th, 2009, 07:58 PM

that sounds like a good idea????!!!! thanks dude!!!

**beyond help** · November 19th, 2009, 08:07 PM

There's a whole bunch of us that are wishing we came up with that idea.

**Goldenboy** · November 19th, 2009, 09:07 PM

Have you tried this. It is wierd that the truck would act as a ground when it is sitting on 4 rubber wheels acting as insulators. I guess I wear boots and when I touch my red lead I make my own ground even with my boots.

**headcipher** · November 20th, 2009, 11:08 PM

Originally Posted by Goldenboy

Have you tried this. It is wierd that the truck would act as a ground when it is sitting on 4 rubber wheels acting as insulators. I guess I wear boots and when I touch my red lead I make my own ground even with my boots.

We have had a few locators who had several mislocates trying this. It's like hooking to a stop box collar to run a h2o service: might work, might screw you over.

**NINJA** · November 24th, 2009, 01:39 PM

Originally Posted by frank1927

Now that winter is fast approaching, we're often faced with trying to get the ground rod in the frozen earth.
I found a simple solution - I carry a 25' spool of wire with a magnet attached. One end clips to my lead & the magnet attaches to an unpainted surface on my truck, i.e. a bolt or the frame.
This works great on those cold, frozen mornings, or when trying to hook up to tracer wire in a parking lot.
Hope this helps

Down here in fla, we do not have to deal with snow or frozen ground too much, but obtaining a good ground here is always a challange because of the sand or hard pan, and lack of moisture. one way we combate it down here is all the utilitys here must drive ground rods atleast 10 ft into the ground at the source so if you are near a power pole or an exposed phone or tv ped odds are they will have a ground rod already installed just unbond it and clamp the rod. as long as you unbond and run 8 mhz bleed off will be kept to a minumum. works down here real well...............

**spencer newson** · December 9th, 2009, 06:33 AM

when i'm having problems getting a decent circuit or ground i either drop the ground lead down into the surface water drain this immediatly gives me a circuit, or creating a trough in the ground with ya boot, connect earth lead to ground pin , lay both in the trough pour water over both in trough , or if you are in need of piss urinate directly over your lead, this will melt any frozen ground and create a great circuit...............

ps make sure you alone retrieve the leads for obvious reasons
hope this helps

**jdixon485** · February 23rd, 2011, 11:10 PM

its funny, but on several occasions i have used a human ground rod. I have also noticed a better MA return to ground when the human ground rod holds onto a metal fence post or something similar nearby. Oh god, 2 many locates in my day so far...lol.

**sprayandpray** · February 24th, 2011, 07:49 AM

I use a magnet on bullards surrounding transformers at industrial buildings when everything is covered in concrete. However, just hooking onto the magnet doesn't work, a part of the lead has to be touching the bullard directly where I have scraped off the paint. I guess the signal doesn't travel thru the magnet ??