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Re: [TowerTalk] Metal Roof

To: Kent Olsen <kilo6dko@gmail.com>, towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Metal Roof
From: Grant Saviers <grants2@pacbell.net>
Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2018 17:31:56 -0800
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
For the old style galvanized corrugated panels on my barn and shed I added a stainless SMS about every 2' on the overlapped seam. It was time to paint the rusting panels so a coat of aluminum roof paint went on top for leak protection.

For modern prefinished painted metal roof systems I think the screws may or may not make electrical contact between the panel overlaps given the rubber washer intended to prevent a leak. OTOH, these seams whether overlapped corrugations or standing seam (no screws at the seam) have a lot of capacitance per foot of seam. About a 2" wide overlap with two layers of paint (10 mils each) makes a capacitance of about 500pf per ft assuming a dielectric constant of 2. So any diode junction rectifying effect is shunted by this capacitance. The screws on my new style roof to steel purlins and wall to girts average about 1' of overlap per screw or 500pf. One advantage of a metal framed building is every screw has a decent chance of grounding the panel. They are all self drilling so produce a good burr in the roof or wall panel and for sure are in solid electrical contact with a purlin or girt.

How well the seam capacitance suppresses diode rectification RFI is a good question as is what is the likely power output of such a diode. Unsoldered copper seams sound like the devil's playground.

How to "fix" an existing roof? The seam edge is accessible at the gutter on my roof so a SS screw and nut, serrated lockwashers both sides to bite thru the paint would make an electrical short at that point. How that affects a screw a few wavelengths away at VHF/UHF is ??. For HF it might help.

PIM (passive intermod) avoidance is a big deal on cell towers. Amateur radio stations excel at opportunities for PIM, so everything needs to be considered if it is a problem.

Grant KZ1W


On 1/11/2018 11:10 AM, Kent Olsen wrote:
Jim

How would one "bond" a metal roof joint? The joints crimped together all
along the joint?

Thanks
73
Kent
N6WT

On Thu, Jan 11, 2018 at 10:59 AM, Jim Brown <jim@audiosystemsgroup.com>
wrote:

Hi Skip,

The "interference" is probably passive intermod (rectification at one or
more joints in that roof) that is generating a spur on the input frequency
of the repeater.  If this is the cause, the joint(s) must be bonded at
multiple points.

73, Jim K9YC

On 1/11/2018 10:29 AM, Gilbert Kauffmann wrote:

   My repeater is desensed.


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