Topband: Aluminum radials?

[N3XX]

Just laying them on the ground didn't help here.  After a couple of years 
they were down into the sod, and a couple more years they were falling 
apart.  Now I keep seeing ends sticking up out of the sod, and when I pull 
them up, it's unusual for the pieces to be over 10 feet long.  I will never 
try using aluminum wire for radials again.

73,
Tim - N3XX

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kenneth D. Grimm, K4XL" <grimm at sbc.edu>
To: "Topband Reflector" <topband at contesting.com>
Sent: Sunday, October 04, 2009 10:50 AM
Subject: Re: Topband: Aluminum radials?


> Thanks to all of you who commented on my question about aluminum radials.
>
> A number of respondents suggested that aluminum electric fence wire
> wouldn't make good radial wire since it will quickly deteriorate.  I'm
> sure that in a salt or acidic environment, it would disappear long
> before copper.  However, I'm just laying the wires on top of the ground,
> so that shouldn't be too big of a problem.