[TowerTalk] Cadwelding vs Silver Solder for Ground Radial Systems

[Bill Aycock]

I think you will find that almost all grounding systems used by Army 
Ordnance to protect explosives storage bunkers use a heavy Copper Braid. I 
know that all I have seen were. It is not a flat braid; it is a wover, 
round material.
Bill-W4BSG

At 10:23 AM 7/9/2006 -0400, donovanf at starpower.net wrote:

>Mike,
>
>Don't do it!
>
>Braid is a terrible choice for lightning or RF grounding, and its
>much worse outdoors where corrosion will be a factor.   You
>won't find a single knowledgeable source who would ever
>recommend braid for lightning protection outdoors.
>
>Your best choice is solid copper wire.  Tinned 2 AWG solid
>copper is the "gold standard."
>
>73!
>Frank
>W3LPL
>
>---- Original message ----
> >Date: Sun, 9 Jul 2006 06:21:20 -0400
> >From: "Dr M J DiGirolamo" <DrD at 2020.com>
> >Subject: [TowerTalk] Cadwelding vs Silver Solder for Ground
>Radial Systems
> >To: <towertalk at contesting.com>
> >
> >Dear TT Colleagues,
> >
> >   There has been so much discussion here about dealing with
>lightning
> >protection and grounding systems that I can't remember
>whether I read about the
> >following topic or not.
> >
> >   I'm planning a ground radial system for each tower leg
>(yes, a peripheral
> >ground system and single point ground, etc too) and have
>decided to use a heavy
> >braided tinned copper cable as the radial for each of these
>legs.  I have just
> >about ruled out copper ribbon for various reasons.  Ground
>rods will be 6' or 8'
> >deep set on 12' or 16' centers.
> >
> >    Question is: Cadwelding is VERY EXPENSIVE when used to
>attach the radials to
> >the ground rods!   Can anyone comment on whether there will
>be sufficient
> >bonding and heat protection if a heavy silver solder bond is
>made in place of
> >the cadweld.  I realize that cadwelding forms a molecular
>bond but it's just so
> >darn expensive.
> >
> >73,
> >
> >Mike DiGirolamo, W4XN
> >Charlottesville, VA
> >W4XN at arrl.net
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Bill Aycock - W4BSG
Woodville, Alabama