Connecting to your house ground when the Service ground rod is non-existent

[N7TEE]

If the ground is not too rocky, I use the water method.  That is to shove the rod into the ground and then pull it out and put about a quart of water in the hole and then out the rod back in and shove it in and pull it out until it almost becomes stuck and then add more water keep pulling and shoving until it is about a foot out of the ground, then use your sledge hammer for the last little bit.

Dave

[SWMAN]

 I know for a fact that before 1982 ground rods were not even required for main service grounding. A cold water pipe was all that was required by NEC code. That means that a lot of homes do not have a ground rod, only a cold water pipe ground.

[KI4SDY]

SWMAN is exactly right! I had the same set up and was constantly under attack with multiple lightning strikes, until I discovered that no rod was ever installed at my house. Just a copper wire going into the ground and supposedly run to a ground wire at a nearby phone pole. After I installed a ground rod, all the lightning strikes stopped and I have had no problem for years. Unfortunately, I lost about $4,500 worth of water pump and other equipment before I noticed. 

You need to install a ground rod below your outside meters where the service enters the house and attach the largest copper wire that will fit into the existing ground connector. Be sure to put GB conductive grease on all the connections and bond your radio system and antennas to the rod.