Strain relief. If the radials are firmly attached to the solder lugs
then there is little likelihood that they will separate from the plate
if pulled on, kicked, etc. My radials are up about 10 feet in the air
- I have them not just crimped, but the wires go through the crimp
connection and form a loop around the screw head before passing back
through the crimp. They simply do not pull out.
If the bus bars are used, the wires tend to pull out rather easily, no
matter how tight the screw is. I also note that the bus bars are
generally aluminum, so we still have the problem with copper (wires)
and aluminum contacts...
Jack Brindle, W6FB
On Feb 10, 2012, at 9:36 AM, Paul Christensen wrote:
>> I've never understood why people don't just use extension buss
>> bars ...
>> like the kind that you can buy from Home Depot for adding more
>> ground or
>> neutral connections to your electric service entrance panel.
>
> Dave,
>
> Good point, especially if single-point connections are used. I
> brought up
> the example of using 2-hole lugs as being a better plate
> alternative, but if
> I were to create a radial field tomorrow, I would probably just make a
> square ring around the base using standard copper pipe, and use
> silver-solder together with an acetylene torch (not with oxygen --
> way too
> hot) at the 90 degree elbows. Radials are then soldered direct to
> the pipe.
>
> Another 'cheap and good' alternative to a radial plate is to make a
> ring bus
> out of 1/0 copper wire. This requires stripping the insulation, but
> again,
> the radials are soldered direct to the ring.
>
> In both examples, long-term conductivity will almost certainly be
> better
> than any radial plate solution.
>
> Paul, W9AC
>
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