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Re: [TowerTalk] copper or galvanized ground rods in red SC clay

To: "Kelly Taylor" <ve4xt@mymts.net>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] copper or galvanized ground rods in red SC clay
From: "StellarCAT" <rxdesign@ssvecnet.com>
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 2016 13:52:23 -0500
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
good point... maybe make the spacing from the tower closer to 6 or even 8'. I don't know if you can overkill it as long as you take into account the possibility of current saturation in the soil - for the cost of 3 ground rods and some #3 or #4 wire I'd rather chance the overkill then not.

I just did a Google search and it appears the thicker coatings on the copper (10 mils is standard) outlasts the 3.9mil coating on galvanized ~40 years to 10-15. So seems copper is the way to go (also they're higher tensile strength - ~58K vs > 90K for the copper).

Gary

-----Original Message----- From: Kelly Taylor
Sent: Saturday, January 9, 2016 1:47 PM
To: StellarCAT
Cc: tower
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] copper or galvanized ground rods in red SC clay

Here's an interesting question: if the concrete base is an effective ground connection, do you get more value by placing the rods a rod length away from the base?

If the idea of separation is to prevent saturation during a strike, isn't the base and rod combo at risk of saturation if the rods are too close to the base?

73, Kelly
ve4xt

Sent from my iPhone

On Jan 9, 2016, at 12:41 PM, StellarCAT <rxdesign@ssvecnet.com> wrote:

Just curious if anyone has experience using either of these over a number of years – whether they’re ‘eaten away’ one any faster than the other.

Also the conductivity issue – not sure if it matters all that much for lightning protection. Don’t know if you can ‘weld’ copper wire to the galvanized ones using the welding devices (can’t remember what they’re called at the moment).

Finally: with 3 on a tower – one on each leg – the rule is to separate them by their length correct? So if I have 3 each on about 5’ of wire from the tower that would mean each would be over 8’ (8.66’) from each other .... this is correct – spaced at least equal to their length (depth)?

Gary
K9RX

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