Hi, fellow topbanders,
(Only) in the past couple of years, I've been reading in several
authoritative texts on low band DXing how we should not be using the
traditional Lead/Tin alloy solder to bond any connection that will be
exposed to the soil. Supposedly, the acidity of the soil will dissolve the
solder joint over time.
I have a few questions about this, like: Is it really true? And, if so,
how long does it take?
After reading the warning, I went into the yard and checked some of the
solder joints in my radial system (mostly where the individual radials are
joined to a common annular ring at the base of the vertical). Some of these
joints are nearly ten years old, and I can find not the slightest
degradation of the Pb/Sn 60/40 solder, only a dulling of the surface. My
radial system was installed on top of the ground with wire "staples" and
has since buried itself under the grass roots. Also, my soil is slightly
acidic. Does the soil need to be highly acidic for the solder joints to go bad?
Would the "lead free" solder used for sweating copper water pipes together
be a better choice? Which alloys are the most resistant to the effects of
the soil?
I'd like to hear of the experiences of others with radial-wire solder
joints in the soil.
Charles - K5ZK
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