There has been a lot of talk about stranded conductors. You have trouble
getting stranded much larger than AWG#2 cu from most wholesale houses. Larger
would bee a bear to bend and work with. For grounding the wire usually has the
minimum number of stranding and each strand are equal to AWG #10 or better.
They are never tinned as this is just adding another dissimilar metal to the
situation.
For connection where Cadwelding is too expensive or not possible (I.E. an
operating telephone switching room or other sensitive area) the use of a
mechanically compressed type of connection. The connector is a approved type of
connector in a sleeve of "C" shaped configuration. These are available at your
local electrical supply houses. They also will rent or even lend you a
"demonstrator" Hypress crimper to apply these if you explain the ham radio
aspect of it.
For those tat still want to use some type of solder/brazing I would suggest
the use of a bolt on device called a acorn clamp. They are an oval shaped alloy
of copper device with one large set screw on the larger radius of the oval.
Bolt this on to the rod top with the wire opposite of the bolt. If you are
continuing on to another rod, don't break wire and continue on. Then you can
use either method you chose to cover all with the filler metal. This will give
you a connection no matter how hot it gets during strike.
The maximum current allowable in a conductor is always in free air, never in
soil or insulated with any thing(except maybe chilled oil not a common
application).The duration of a lightning makes this a moot point as dissipation
doesn't have much time to work.Also lightning doesn't play by the rules as it
runs along the ground or near ground surface. I can run along your radial
system and jump many feet off end to something else it likes better. For a
mental picture think of a run of perforated pipe laying on ground.Squirt a high
pressure high volume water jet into one end. Some of the water will make it all
the way through with pressure enough to spray out.
73
Nick
WB7PEK
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