(Dave Platt) wrote in
:

In article ,
Michael Coslo wrote:

Only concern I would have is that the electrical connections are
properly made. AL's talent for oxidizing has been a problem in the
past with house wiring.

A good point.

The National Electric Code has some fairly specific requirements for
how grounding system connections must be made. Soldering is not
permitted, as the high temperatures which can occur at such
connections during a lighting strike can blow the soldered connection
apart.

I always laughed about this requirement, because if you have THAT much
energy present to do this, you're going to have much bigger problems than
that soldered joint.

In article 8,
Ed wrote:

I am only interested in the long term reliability of an aluminum ground
system in comparison to the more common copper system. This is for
lightning suppression only, I am not addressing RF issues. I am wondering
if aluminum can handle the potential surge currents that copper can... and
how well does its ground conductivity work when buried, when compared to
copper.

Ed K7AAT

For Lightning Protection Aluminum is NOT the grounding material of
choice. Higher resistance per foot. (Less conductivity) and the Oxide
boundary layer, make it unsuitable for this type of use. For RF Grounding
use, it will work just as well as copper as the Oxide layer really has
no effect at RF Frequencies.

Ed wrote:
I am only interested in the long term reliability of an aluminum ground
system in comparison to the more common copper system. This is for
lightning suppression only, I am not addressing RF issues. I am wondering
if aluminum can handle the potential surge currents that copper can... and
how well does its ground conductivity work when buried, when compared to
copper.

Ed K7AAT

If you're talking lightning, you're talking RF!

73, Roger

If you're talking lightning, you're talking RF!

73, Roger


Roger, Lightning is DC. How could it be " RF " if it has no
"frequency" ?


Ed




..

"Ed" wrote in message
. 192.196...


If you're talking lightning, you're talking RF!

73, Roger


Roger, Lightning is DC. How could it be " RF " if it has no
"frequency" ?


Ed


A lightning bolt is a transient so its current must be composed of
components having a wide range frequencies. Consequently lightning
conductors need small self-inductance as well as small resistance to work
properly.

Chris

"Ed" wrote in message
. 192.196...


If you're talking lightning, you're talking RF!

73, Roger


Roger, Lightning is DC. How could it be " RF " if it has no
"frequency" ?

lightning has MANY frequencies from DC to many MHz.

Dave wrote:

"Ed" wrote in message
. 192.196...


If you're talking lightning, you're talking RF!

73, Roger


Roger, Lightning is DC. How could it be " RF " if it has no
"frequency" ?

lightning has MANY frequencies from DC to many MHz.


DC to daylight in fact. Well, light at least. 8^)

- 73 de Mike N3LI -

Ed wrote:
Lightning is DC. How could it be " RF " if it has no
"frequency" ?

Fourier analysis of pulsed DC?
--
73, Cecil, IEEE, OOTC, http://www.w5dxp.com

"Cecil Moore" wrote in message
...
Ed wrote:
Lightning is DC. How could it be " RF " if it has no
"frequency" ?

Fourier analysis of pulsed DC?

Sorry, I swore of that stuff as soon as I passed the final.

Ed wrote:

Roger, Lightning is DC. How could it be " RF " if it has no
"frequency" ?


Ed

If you're not convinced after reading the responses, turn on your radio
the next time a lightning storm is anywhere nearby -- or for that
matter, anywhere within skip propagation range. Then explain how it is
your radio is hearing DC.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL