Topband: Radial Wire

[Tom W8JI]

> Thank you very much for this source.  I was just looking this week for 
> wire prices.  I want to buy quite a lot for next summer's antenna project.
>
> The nice thing is he's close enough I'll probably pick it up and save 
> shipping.
>
> BTW...any thoughts on solid vs stranded?  I do like to use insulated wire 
> as I think it lasts longer.  I was thinking 16 or 18 ga.

When I did AM broadcast work, we would pull solid wire out of all sorts of 
stations built in the 1920's and 30's in all types of soil. Unless it was 
actually cut, it would be good.

In my own Ham stuff, I primarily use #16 bare copper bus (which is soft 
drawn) wire. It lasts longer than I ever keep a house unless physically cut. 
If I pull some up after several years in the ground, it just barely shows 
light surface corrosion.

I install mine with a plow on a tractor. I can pull a six inch deep radial, 
or any depth I want, at a few MPH. I have never broken a #16 wire pulling it 
into the ground. I have never seen one fail from lightning.

I personally would stay away from stranded copper, and would especially stay 
away from aluminum, steel, or steel cored wire (watch what you buy). Any 
solid copper #16 or larger, especially soft drawn, will last a lot longer 
than most of use ever will. I would not be afraid of anything solid copper 
and #16 or larger size.

If you never plan on long term direct soil exposure, never plan on soldering 
it later for an alteration or repair without doing a lot of cleaning work, 
and never plan on silver soldering, stranded copper is also OK. I use 
stranded insulated #14 on my 40M 4 square stuff because it is surface wire. 
The aluminum wire I installed several years ago on that system is falling 
apart, but the insulated stranded copper is still good.