[TowerTalk] Shack wiring

[K8RI on Tower Talk]

> Aluminum is about the only thing that the power company uses nowadays for 
> the drop cable to your house. But you do not want any aluminum inside the 
> house.
> Most places do not allow its installation anymore.

Virtually all new homes in this area use tripple ought (000) Aluminum from 
the meter to the main breaker panel.  When I built the shop and when I 
installed the new breaker panel in the house all I could get was AL.  Any Cu 
would have been special order and in those lengths it would have been 
*expensive*.  However, beyond the panel code prohibits AL wire.

>
> If you do have it inside you should retighten the connections about once a 
> year. They do loosen up. Be sure to turn off the power when doing so.

That's difficult to do with those big lugs holding the 000 cables.  Just 
don't short out the Allen wrench.

Used to be you could call the power company and tell them you were going to 
pull the meter and do the job at such and such a time. Now they want it 
scheduled and they want some one there.  So far, I've given them some lead 
time, told them when I had the work scheduled (me) and that's when it would 
be done.  They've complained a bit, but that was all.

Roger Halstead (K8RI, EN73 & ARRL Life Member)
N833R, World's Oldest Debonair (S# CD-2)
www.rogerhalstead.com

> When aluminum is compressed it does not spring back like copper does so it 
> does not have that built in tension.
>
> 73
> Gary  k4FMX
>
>
> Alan NV8A (ex. AB2OS) wrote:
>> Al wiring is OK with the right fittings, isn't it? I see fittings in the 
>> stores marked for use with Al. IIRC, the service drop from the pole to 
>> the meter is still typically Al. Our wiring from the main breaker in the 
>> garage to the 100A subpanel in the basement (which has the branch-circuit 
>> breakers for everything but the garage) is Al.
>>
>> Alan NV8A
>>
>>
>> On 01/24/05 04:05 pm K4BEV at aol.com tossed the following ingredients into 
>> the ever-growing pot of cybersoup:
>>
>>> In a message dated 1/24/05 1:19:25 PM Central Standard Time, 
>>> k7acz at cox.net writes:
>>> Maybe check to see if your house has aluminum wiring with copper 
>>> pigtails at the wall sockets and switches.  Was quite common in the 
>>> 1970's or so and the wire nuts on the pigtails need to be tightened from 
>>> time to time.
>>> This is RIGHT ON!
>>> Better yet - Get rid of the aluminum wire!!
>>>
>>> I wouldn't knowingly sleep in a house with Al wiring - The fire is just 
>>> a matter of when.
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>>
>> See: http://www.mscomputer.com  for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless 
>> Weather Stations", and lot's more.  Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with 
>> any questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> TowerTalk mailing list
>> TowerTalk at contesting.com
>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>>
>>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
>
> See: http://www.mscomputer.com  for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless 
> Weather Stations", and lot's more.  Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with 
> any questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
>
> _______________________________________________
> TowerTalk mailing list
> TowerTalk at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>