Tom,
On your mention of Silver solder, do you mean typical circuit board silver
solder or the "real" silver solder, such as used on copper tubing in high
pressure refrigeration systems?
I used the "real" silver solder to solder 3/8" copper tubing to Stainless
Steel Ground rods below ground level.
Jim - KR9U
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When I did AM broadcast work, we would pull solid wire out of all sorts of
stations built in the 1920's and 30's in all types of soil. Unless it was
actually cut, it would be good.
In my own Ham stuff, I primarily use #16 bare copper bus (which is soft
drawn) wire. It lasts longer than I ever keep a house unless physically cut.
If I pull some up after several years in the ground, it just barely shows
light surface corrosion.
I install mine with a plow on a tractor. I can pull a six inch deep radial,
or any depth I want, at a few MPH. I have never broken a #16 wire pulling it
into the ground. I have never seen one fail from lightning.
I personally would stay away from stranded copper, and would especially stay
away from aluminum, steel, or steel cored wire (watch what you buy). Any
solid copper #16 or larger, especially soft drawn, will last a lot longer
than most of use ever will. I would not be afraid of anything solid copper
and #16 or larger size.
If you never plan on long term direct soil exposure, never plan on soldering
it later for an alteration or repair without doing a lot of cleaning work,
and never plan on silver soldering, stranded copper is also OK. I use
stranded insulated #14 on my 40M 4 square stuff because it is surface wire.
The aluminum wire I installed several years ago on that system is falling
apart, but the insulated stranded copper is still good.
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