[TowerTalk] Copper strap corrosion prevention

[Pat Barthelow]

No need to do anything, functionally.
If you want to keep it with a shiny clean copper look, some have good results, by wiping with a rag saturated with dow corning silicone grease from time to time.
 
We took a tour of transmitter site of KGO, a textbook perfect, to die for, MW  TX/Antenna site.  810 AM 50 KW on the extra salty south end of SF bay.  3 x 1/4 wave phased verts shown in pictures below:
Some photos show clearly the 2" copper strap running down from the antenna ground/common point to the salt water at the base of the concrete pedestal.
 
I looked at them closely and the 2" strap went to a star junction of many radial 2" straps that were submerged slightly below the water level at the tower bases.  Seemed to go out only about 20'radius in the water, completely submerged.
It had a brown overalll patina, with a lot of green copper oxide crud in various places.  Seems to not rot out, even for years  as a 50KW AM ground strap. 
 
http://www.dxhound.com/KGO%20visit%202005/jj_test_KGO.htmlAll the Best, Pat Barthelow,  AA6EG   aa6eg at k6bj.org   Skype: sparky599Founder, Executive Producer,  "Echoes of Apollo"


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> Drax Felton wrote:> > I bought 2" wide copper strap from DX Engineering, but where I used it> > outdoors it has green corrosion spots on it after only being exposed for a> > month.> > Paint it...green?>