[Boatanchors] Grounds, thanks all

[Brian Clarke]

Look Phil,

I think you have a specific mindset here, that you absolutely MUST have a 
ground / Earth system.

It is still not clear to me that you need it for RF purposes at all.

All you continue to describe is a mains safety system.

73 de Brian, VK2GCE.

On Thursday, March 22, 2012 2:17 PM, Phil said:


>I want to thank everyone for all the good suggestions.
>
> I once used the braid from RG8 coax for ground connections on a
> Butternut HF-2V antenna.  When I took the antenna down after about a
> year's use, the braid was heavily corroded, nearly corroded through in
> places (it was roof mounted and grounded to the metal roof and gutter).
> So that was out, and besides the only coax I have are a 15 foot length
> of RG-213 and a 55 foot length of RG-213, both with connectors and with
> plans to use on antennas in the future.
>
> After reading some of the replies I went down to OSH and I just got
> back.  It turns out they didn't have any aluminum wire anyway.  I got to
> talking to a licensed electrician (even had his work outfit on :)in the
> electrical department who was buying some supplies himself.  He said
> they did away with the aluminum wire, at least here in California a few
> years back due to safety concerns. I find that odd as that is what our
> TV antenna installers always used at the shop where I worked. He
> suggested stranded/insulated 14Ga wire as that is what he uses for
> "safety grounds".  I couldn't make him understand the "skin effect" at
> RF, so didn't try.  But I DID buy a length of 10Ga bare solid copper
> wire for the grounds.  I wanted the 8 Ga (or even the 6Ga ;-) but the
> money in my wallet wouldn't stretch that far. It should be much better
> than the scraps of 18Ga stranded at any rate. . .
>
> -- 
> 73 de Phil,  KO6BB
> http://ko6bb1.multiply.com/ (OTR Blog)
> http://www.qsl.net/ko6bb/  (Web Page)