Hi Steve,
Tnx for the Q's this w/e.
I am not sure about the split-bolts some are mentioning. I only ever used
them a lifetime ago when I was an apprentice electrician. Copper/Bronze is
pretty beefy to be hanging in the air bee-bobbing around, but with no
experience I couldn't say with certainty. I don't know if I would want more
weight hanging on my wires, but lots are mentioning it, so maybe it'll work.
What I do when I have to join dissimilar wires that are suspended in the air
is usually make a small U-shaped loop and take the stress off the connection
and bridge the gap with some kind of rope. So the bottom of the "U" would
be the soldered connection and a straight line across the top of the U would
be rope.
For example: My ZS6BKW has 450 Ohm ladder line soldered directly to coax a
few feet off the ground, which WILL break in the wind after just a few
months or so, but I have that junction essentially under no stress now by
adding about 12" of 3/16ths braided nylon rope attached 7-8" back from the
soldered junction on the ladder line and also attached a 7-8" back on the
coax. The U of coax/ladderline is probably 14-18" long or so and the top
rope bridge is likely 12" long. That sucker blows in the hilltop wind here
in NB 24/7/365 and survives -30*C -> + 30*C temps and has never broken the
very weak solder connection (at the bottom of the "U") however many years
it's been up. Five or Six now I think, maybe more. My previous hard
soldered connections broke 3 or 4 times in a single year until I wised up
and took relief off of the solder connection. Unlike a split-bolt, the rope
is light and provides a small amount of shock absorption as well. Looks
like heck, but RF doesn't care-hi
I have in a pinch many years ago used wood or plexi to bridge connections
but found rope very cheap and not prone to breaking like brittle materials.
Also tends to gather less radial ice.
FWIW
Mike VE9AA
This may seem to be an easy problem, but the solutions I have tried have
not held up.
I need to electrically and mechanically join 2 perpendicular pieces of
bare, #12 copper wire. They will be subject to wind forces which have
repeatedly broken mere solder joints.
Suggestions ?
Steve, N2IC
Mike, Coreen & Corey
Keswick Ridge, NB
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