[TowerTalk] grounding

[Rob Atkinson, K5UJ]

While soldering ground connections is frowned upon by all the the experts, I 
don't think there's anything wrong with it as long as you also have a strong 
mechanical connection--i.e. you have a wire clamped to a rod let's say,  and 
you use a torch to solder the wire to the rod to lower the resistance 
between the two surfaces.  The expert opinions are usually concerned with 
plans to make solder the only force holding the two items together, and yes, 
that's not a good thing to do.  But why not have both--a mechanical force 
for strike energy and a soldered union for better shack ground conductivity? 
  Of course cadwelding is the best way to go if you can do that.

Jim Lux posted last year data showing there isn't a lot of difference 
between copper flashing and aluminum in terms of electrical properties for 
radio--if you can get around the dissimilar metal oxidation problem, then 
give it a try.  However I have found it is just easier to stick with copper. 
  A long section of Cu pipe might be rigid enough--I usually just use short 
thowaway sections which some stores let me have and clamp braid to them by 
using the brass pipe ground clamps found in hardware stores.   A section 
about 2' long is enough for all my braids to come together and I have the 
middle of it clamped to my run to the rods.  If I remember old geometry the 
surface area of a 1" diam. pipe is about = to 3" wide flashing.  I guess 
this doesn't look as professional as a strap buss but that's why it's called 
*amateur* radio, hi.

Rob Atkinson
K5UJ

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