[TowerTalk] Use stainless steel with copper underground?

[K3GM]

Larry,

I used the following method on my ground system, although the strap width
was 2.5 inches, not nearly as wide as yours.  With grounds rods sunk at 8
foot intervals, I installed the strapping on edge  in a pre-dug trench
between each of the rods.  I had pre-drilled clearance hole for the diameter
of the
ground clamp screw  at 8 1/2 foot intervals along the strap to
allow for expansion and contraction of the soil once the strapping was
connected and buried.  I then replaced the screw on each of the ground
clamps with an extra long stainless steel hex head bolt.  I made a jam nut
affair for each of the bolts using 2 washers and 2 nuts for each bolt.  The
bolt was first tightened up on the ground clamp, followed by tightening down
on the copper strap which was sandwiched between the jam nuts.  This method
has been in place for over a year in fairly damp soil.  I dug up the tail
end of one of my ground radials recently and found the clamp to be in
apparent good condition with no corrosion visible.  I don't think it's been
tested yet, but I'm very comfortable with the bond made at each of the rods.
Incidentally, my ground rods are the galvanized variety, and the clamps I
think are brass or bronze.  There is no copper contact with the galvanized
rods.


7  3,  Tom K3GM


> >On Mon, 08 May 2000 14:32:35 -0600 "Larry Alkoff"
> ><labradley@mindspring.com> writes:
> >>
> >> I want to ground a 12"  wide 30 foot long copper strap by attaching
> >> 1.5" copper straps to it
> >>  with a copper sandwich that will be buried.  The straps will
> >> connect to ground rods.
> >>
> >> The plan is to use 1/2" wide copper bar stock to sandwich the straps
> >> to the 12" wide strap.
> >>
> >> Copper nuts and bolts seem very hard to find.
> >> Can I use stainless steel nuts and bolts to hold the copper sandwich
> >> sandwich together underground?
> >> Will there be corrosion?
> >>
> >> Any alternative methods?
> >>
> >> Larry Alkoff N2LA.      N2LA at mindspring.com
> >>
> >>



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