On 17 Apr 2004 21:30:46 EDT, am (Gary V.
Deutschmann, Sr.) wrote:

When I checked into the price of gold
plating, it was only a couple of bucks more than stainless silver or
stainless brass and I was just thinking perhaps the gold would last
longer and perhaps even work better.

Hi Gary,

Ships at sea, for millennia, have used bronze for durability. Talk
about an aggressive environment. One of my buddy's told about his
experience at the Naval Research Lab where a scientist offered a cube
of solid stainless steel for testing. They dumped it into sea water
and dissolved it.

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC

Thanks Richard

You may have solved my problem!

I will definitely check into using bronze.

Thanks
Gary

On 18 Apr 2004 11:22:52 EDT, am (Gary V.
Deutschmann, Sr.) wrote:

Thanks Richard

You may have solved my problem!

I will definitely check into using bronze.

Thanks
Gary


Hi Gary,

Look for what is called "white bronze." Such is the premium connector
base metal that is then plated with Gold. The reason for this is to
reduce IM products (the Bronze has a lower electrochemical interface).

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC

I have 1,225 sq. ft. of small link aluminum chain link fencing that is
going to be buried as the start of my ground system in this graded
area.

which will most likely disintegrate in the ground into white powder.

Yuri, K3BU

"Yuri Blanarovich" wrote in message
...

I have 1,225 sq. ft. of small link aluminum chain link fencing that is
going to be buried as the start of my ground system in this graded
area.

which will most likely disintegrate in the ground into white powder.

Anyone remember "beldfoil" aluminum sheilded cables?
It was sold in the 70's as a replacement for copper shielding.
After a few months exposure to salt air, the aluminum turned into white
powder, leaving only the drain wire as a sheild. Not very effective.
I think they've given up on that, and gone back to copper, though I have
seen copper shield used along with the aluminum-mylar material.

Hi Yuri

I lived in my last house for slightly over 20 years.

Although a high percentage of the welded wire fabric decomposed over
that time, leaving iron in the soil, evidenced by all of my hydrangeas
turning bright blue, the areas of aluminum fencing never did
deteriorate.

In fact, the fencing I will be using is the same fencing that
surrounded my property for those 20 years, with the lower ends buried
over a foot into the ground. Not the actual fence, but a partial roll
I had left over after constructing the fence. That had been in
storage all this time.

If I could find a company that makes this same small weave aluminum
fencing I would have them do my whole yard at my new house. But I
have not found it available anywhere. Perhaps as you pointed out, it
don't hold up under certain conditions.

My aunt lived in Florida for awhile, she had the same type awnings
installed, by the same manufacturer even, that she had installed some
25 years earlier in St. Loo, they didn't hold up but only 4 years and
were full of holes. Assumably from the salt air.

TTUL
Gary

Gary Deutshmann, Sr. wrote:
"If I could find a company that makes this same small weave aluminum
fencing I would have them do my whole yard at my new house."

Copper radials could be better.

Ed Laport who worked with Brown, Lewis, and Epstein at RCA wrote on page
121 of "Radio Antenna Engineering":

"The radial disposition of wires in a buried or surface ground system is
dictated by the natural paths for returning ground currents. Meshes opf
crossed wires which were once widely used, should not be used with
vertical radiators because the return paths are not direct and
eddy-current losses in the closed loop circuits of the mesh can be
appreciable."

Best regards, Richard Harrison, KB5WZI

Richard Harrison wrote:
Ed Laport who worked with Brown, Lewis, and Epstein at RCA wrote on page
121 of "Radio Antenna Engineering":

"The radial disposition of wires in a buried or surface ground system is
dictated by the natural paths for returning ground currents. Meshes opf
crossed wires which were once widely used, should not be used with
vertical radiators because the return paths are not direct

With a fine enough ground spacing, though, I would think that the path is
'direct enough?'

and
eddy-current losses in the closed loop circuits of the mesh can be
appreciable."

I thought the entire point of the ground plane was that the induced currents
are necessary to make up for the current sources that are 'supposed' to have
come from the 'missing' half of the antenna?

Hi Richard

Thanks for the advice!

However, I do use copper radials from each vertical.
From my Butternut HF9Vw/160 I used 3,500 feet of copper wire to make
the radial bed. These were tied to an 8 foot grounding stake and
connected to the antenna's grounded mast.

I have antennas that did not work well at all when placed in the front
or side yard, but worked quite well in the back yard over all of that
mesh of buried wire!

Because of this, I'm planning on trying to duplicate as closely as
possible, what I had that worked so well for the last 20 years.

TTUL
Gary