Topband: Radial Plate Designs

[mstangelo at comcast.net]

I use these ground bars. I don't like soldered connections outdoors.

I picked up my ground bars at a hamfest. They are made out of copper, not aluminum. Does anyone know where I can purchase the copper ground bars today?

If you use the aluminum ground bars with copper wire I'd use an al-cu anti oxidant compound like Penetrox.

Mike N2MS
----- Original Message -----
From: Tim Shoppa <tshoppa at gmail.com>
To: Paul Christensen <w9ac at arrl.net>, topBand List <topband at contesting.com>
Sent: Wed, 04 Feb 2015 15:31:59 -0000 (UTC)
Subject: Re: Topband: Radial Plate Designs

A different idea than lug connections, is to use load-center style ground
bars bolted to the metal plate.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Square-D-23-Terminal-Load-Center-Ground-Bar-Kit-PK23GTACP/100129430

I fully agree this is not up to Bellcore grounding standards. But seems
much more ham-amenable, especially for those of us who unroll many of our
random-gauge radial wires across driveways and lawns on contest weekends
and hook up in cold weather - the clamp screws in the ground bars are
easily worked with a screwdriver in a gloved hand and accomodate any
random-sized-style conductor.

Tim N3QE

On Wed, Feb 4, 2015 at 10:17 AM, Paul Christensen <w9ac at arrl.net> wrote:

> I've long thought about designing a radial plate that addresses some
> significant limitations with currently available product.  Specially, every
> commercially available radial plate uses single-hole lugs to attach a
> radial wire to the plate.   The problem is that with upwards of 60+ lugs in
> harms way of accidental contact, single-hole lugs are very susceptible to
> rotation and loosening.
>
> In the link below, you'll see a different kind of radial plate that makes
> use of double-hole lugs.
>
> http://tinyurl.com/pykx44x
>
<snip>
>
> Paul, W9AC
>
>
>
>
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