Topband: Aluminum radials?

[Art]

Ken
I second all Pete's comments. I've been buying 17 gage in 1/4 and 1/2 
mile rolls for some years. It works very well as long as a couple things 
are attended to.

As Rick points out it likes to curl up like copperweld. So some means of 
fixing the far end is needed, like a ground staple. A local friend here 
used big nails.

Corrosion will be quick and brutal if directly connected to copper. I 
use plated terminal lugs or bronze for an interface between Al and Cu 
along with black grease (sold in auto stores as molybdenum disulfide 
lube). The moly lube does not have any copper but there seems to be 
(after 30 years of experience) enough metal on metal contact that it 
doesn't matter. You could always get some of the moly with copper 
embedded that the electric supply houses sell for Al wiring but I have 
never had a connection failure traceable to ordinary moly auto grease.

73 Art

Pete Ferrand wrote:
> -----Original Message-----
>   
>> From: "Kenneth D. Grimm, K4XL" <grimm at sbc.edu>
>>     
>
>   
>> Anyone else using the aluminum 
>> stuff?  I've seen it in 1/2 mile rolls 
>>     
>
> Hi Ken, I made a vee beam out of electric fence aluminum wire, about 400 feet of wire in the air, and put about 500 feet in the ground. It's been up for four years in the trees without a failure. What I've seen in the ground is in fine shape and I replaced a support rope a month ago and it still looks perfect. 
>
> Contrary to what some were predicting, it does not craze, become brittle, etc. After all it was made to have cows and horses walking into it.
>
> Naturally YMMV depending on pollution, ground chemistry, and who know what but it works fb here. It's amazing how much easier it is to handle due to the lighter weight. You can get aluminum brazing rod with the Bernz-O-Matic name on it at Home Depot to make connections, or use AL/CU connectors from the electrical department.
>
> Thanks for your efforts with BAMA, a real help to so many of us!
>
> -Pete
> WB2QLL
> Somers, WI
>
>