A direct or close lightning strike can VAPORIZE solder.
The options are Cadweld or robust mechanical clamping. The latter must be
periodically inspected.
The solder is useless and can defeat a copper-to-copper clamping. The problem
is not the conductivity of the solder, it is the melting point.
The solder will cause a gap in the copper-to-copper contact, creating a
copper-solder-copper sandwich.
Although a soldered joint initially seems fine with an ohmmeter, the high
current of a lightning strike will vaporize the solder leaving a gap, and the
conductors no longer reliably clamped together. While the first strike will
probably continue conduction across the gap as long as the current does not
break, this can happen one day without your knowledge, and from that time on
your grounding is defective.
You want clamped bright copper to bright copper direct contact, or the cadweld.
No solder.
>
> From: brewerj@squared.com
To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
> Date: 2002/08/05 Mon PM 01:37:55 EDT
> To: towertalk@contesting.com
> Subject: [Towertalk] silver solder ok for Ground wire to rod ?
>
> Is it acceptable to silver solder the #4 solid copper to the 8' ground stakes
> I'm (slowly) pounding in? I was considering making a full tight loop around
> the stake
> and silver soldering rod to wire, in lieu of clamps.
>
> Good idea or bad?
>
> 73
> John
>
>
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