INSTALLATION

Overview:

The Ground Cloud (GC) is designed to be installed in a fence post hole at a depth of 3 to 5 feet deep and buried in sand.  The ideal location is buried in the crawl space or basement of a building but also works outside of a building with a minimum of 16 inches of dirt between the concrete foundation and the black box for fire protection. Deeper burial gives added cooling in extremely hot areas plus additional EMP protection; however, it is somewhat harder to vacuum out the sand and retrieve the black box (GC) after a catastrophic event.

Testing:

Start by plugging in an SSD (Crucial X9 or X10 Pro, Samsung T7 or T9, SanDisk extreme) but do not bolt together at this point. Remove the end of the flexible conduit by removing the red tape, then plug the USB cable into the system being used. A typical installation is directly to a NAS drive or computer, or first to a USB powered hub and extending another 10 feet with a USB cable or extending up to another 100 feet with a USB fiber cable. 

Assembly:

When testing is complete, inject RTV sealant on both sides of the SSD to secure it and allow 24 hours to cure. The RTV sealant is provided and must be sensor safe and kept off the gasket surface. When satisfied that everything works properly and the SSD is secured, prepare to bolt the two sections together. Install the isolation washers on all four bolts and cover the full length of the bolt threads with RTV sealant. Clean the gasket surface, Isopropyl alcohol can be used if needed. Install the gasket and bolt together with the coated bolts at a torque of 24 inch-lbs. Note: Over tightening will cause excessive gasket protrusion. For EMP protection tape the gasket joint with the thin faraday tape to provide continuity between the cap and base but first remove the protection tape from the joint and polish the aluminum with the scotch-brite pad provided. Wipe to remove dust and grease, using Isopropyl alcohol can help. Start the taping with the thin faraday tape starting at one of the edges and tightly seal all the way around with no gaps; press firmly to activate the 3M conductive adhesive. Cover the thin shielding tape with the heavy aluminum butyl tape by starting on one edge and firmly wrapping. This will give the shielding tape long-term protection from underground conditions. Before final installation into the ground temporarily tape the conduit end piece back on to protect the cable. Place the ground cloud into the post hole and route the conduit into the building, then finish by filling the hole with sand.

Recovery:

After a catastrophic event such as a hurricane, flood or fire that has burned off the cabling, the black box (GC) can be retrieved by vacuuming the sand out of the hole. Disassemble the black box (GC) and pull out the solid-state drive that is held in place with sealant. Simply plug the SSD into a computer and retrieve the data. 

EMP:

During periods of impending nuclear attack or severe solar storms, when EMP protection is needed, the GC should be unplugged.  Cover the end of the cable with the braided end provided and tightly tape it to the existing cable shield for good contact. The EMP pulse will follow outside of the cable. The cable and GC have 360 degree shielding over its full length directing the pulse into the ground, giving  the SSD inside much added protection.

Tested installation: 

Crucial X10 SSD– SMART data is available to monitor overall health, temperature and life expectancy.

StarTech Powered 3.2 Gen 2 hub. 3 Port with Ethernet or 4 Port - works very well as a USB extender.

Computer or NAS drive- NAS drive such as Synology.