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Re: [TowerTalk] Tower Legs

To: "'K8RI'" <K8RI-on-TowerTalk@tm.net>, <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Tower Legs
From: "Mike" <noddy1211@sbcglobal.net>
Date: Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:12:49 -0800
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
I have always done the same, I do use a liberal amount of "Kopr-Shield"
conductive anticorrosion paste at the point of contact and never had a
problem, I just checked the ground connections and they look as good as new
after a few years.

-Mike, K6BR

-----Original Message-----
From: towertalk-bounces@contesting.com
[mailto:towertalk-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of K8RI
Sent: Thursday, December 22, 2011 2:48 PM
To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Tower Legs

On 12/22/2011 12:40 PM, Warrenwolff wrote:
> Greetings:
>
> I note the comment about CadWelding to a tower leg.  I have seen posts 
> here (where else?) on how to do it and then, just "don't do it".
>
> The installer I am using wants to exothermically attach my #2 copper 
> to the legs of an AN-HD60 tower, whose legs are definitely not thin.
>
> This was in response to my failed attempts to locate any "stainless 
> shims" for clamping the #2 to the

I have never bothered with stainless shims.  I just clamp the copper to the
tower leg and have done so for many years. I've never had a corrosion
problem with this type of connection.  I'm not saying this is the way to go,
or even recommending it to any one.  Much depends on the PH of both the soil
and rain in your area.  With stranded #2, I just spread out the strands,
parallel them (close spaced) on the tower leg and then use a couple of SS
hose clamps to get a good physical and electrical contact.  I've also used
plain old copper connectors/terminals that bolt to the tower leg and the
bare #2 inserts into the end of the connector and is held in place by a
large setscrew.  
You can paint the connection, paint it with asphalt, or use liquid
electrical tape, but protect the junction from the elements.

CadWelding to tower legs will weaken the tower legs. On solid tower legs it
*MAY* not (and probably won't) matter depending on the size of the legs and
the load they support.
I wouldn't hesitate to CadWeld to the legs of those "dirt bases" I build
using solid, 1" steel rod for the legs, mainly because they are dirt bases.
Even after softening the legs by CadWelding to them, some thing else would
fail far sooner than those legs.

CadWelding to tubular tower legs will remove ALL of the galvanizing from
both inside and outside at the point of the CadWeld. That and particularly
the inside of the leg are now prime for rusting which is likely to cause
premature failure.

73

Roger (K8RI)

> legs.
>
> Comments, please.
>
> Warren; W7WY
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