Unless otherwise specified you need a 5/8th inch by 8 foot copper clad rod. A great trick is to drive it in at a 45 degree angle and bend it up as you go so it ends up straight after it drive in all the way. This keeps you from hitting hard pan and keeps you from having to get on a ladder to drive the rid which can be kinda dangerous. Leave about 4 inches out of the ground for you ground clamp. For a 200 amp service use #4 armored ground. For 125 amp or 100 amp you can use #6 armored ground wire and an armored ground clamp.
The NEC allows that for ANY connection to ground rod, #6 solid copper is the largest conductor required. The ground rod is SUPPLEMENTAL, and only in rare circumstances is the ground rod your primary ground. The sizes given above are for your primary grounding connection, such as a metal water line.
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