What is the minimum depth you have to hit an earth spike into the ground? I live on a very rocky property and lightning is giving me hell. My IP cameras get hit every season and I am now trying to protect them with lan cable protectors. They are powered with POE. (Power over ethernet) All 8 wires is protected, but as you know, if the protector is not properly earthed, it means nothing. So my problem is to get these 1.5m copper spikes into the ground. The max I get to at the current point is +-1 meter. Is there something (like a meter) I can test with to see if it is properly earthed?
My next question is, can one hit a few short spikes into the ground, connect them all with bare copper wire and get an better earth? Once again, how do you test? I want to try this at my next point to do, as I know I will not even get 500mm into the ground.
Any other way of getting a good earth under these conditions? What about burying a steel grid 500 mm below the surface, say 1 x 1 meter dimension and connect your earth wire to that? Obviously it cannot be treated with anti rust, so will corrosion be a problem? Do you get copper mats like that? Will probably cost a grand, so it is too expensive, as there is no guarantees with lightning.
This is what I use as a protector.
Specs
right click, open in new tab
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7w...it?usp=sharing
Reply With Quote
Did you like this article? Share it with your favourite social network.