[Lowfer] re: web question...radials

[Stan, W1LE]

Hello The Net:

The chicken wire I have seen is a galvanized steel wire material, and a 
rather thin wire at that.
Hot dipped after weaving/fabrication.

Depending on soil conditions, unique to your location, it may last 2 
years buried, before it disintegrates.

I had a galvi steel ROHN 25 section buried in my soil for 2 years and 
when I removed it, it was very rusty.
Galvi was all gone and significant rust.

Between the acid rain and acidic soil conditions, galvi steel does not 
belong in the ground.

The ROHN engineering manual requires a asphaltic paint be applied to all 
buried galvi steel parts.

Probably impractical to paint up the chicken wire.

Copper chicken wire would last much longer in time, if buried.

I would expect aluminum chicken wire to erode away in less than a year, 
in my soil conditions.

Chain link fence material, plastic bonded coating over galvanized steel 
may last longer,
but you would not have a decent electrical bond between strands.
The chain link fence is woven, after the wire is plasticized.

Maybe the bare, galvanized steel, chain link fence material, elevated 
slightly above ground,
 would be useful and not suffer the ravages of the acidic soil.
Drawback would be the yard would be useless for other activities.

So it looks like we are back to copper wire radials, for longevity.

For the short duration dxpedition, I would consider galvi chicken wire 
laid out on the ground
and suitably electrically bonded as needed.

Have you ever wondered about  the condition of your ground rods  ??
Either galvi steel or copper clad steel ??

The earth electrodes of your lightning protection system are important.

Stan, W1LE    FN41sr    Cape Cod



Mike WE0H wrote:
> Didn't he use rolls of chicken wire for radials? What are your 
> thoughts on using chicken wire verses copper wire radials? Chicken 
> wire can saturate the ground where it would take hundreds of radials 
> to cover the ground as well as the chicken wire does. But how long can 
> the chicken wire be expected to last? It will rust away eventually. 
> Thinking of this because I already have lots of wire radials, but 
> would it help to lay chicken wire to 100% cover the radials field?
>
> tnx,
> Mike
>
>
> Bill Ashlock wrote:
>>> Ground radial are spaced out every 10 to 15 degrees Paul K5wms
>>>     
>>  
>> Paul,
>>  
>> I'm assuming that WEB's ground radials are buried rather than placed 
>> above ground in a counterpoise configuration?  
>> Before this thread turns into a pro/con buried vs above ground 
>> success registry, remember that the soil characteristics have a lot 
>> to do with which one works best at a given location.
>>  
>> Bill A_______________________________________________
> _______________________________________________
>> From the Lowfer mailing list
> Send messages to: Lowfer at mailman.qth.net
> To sub/unsub visit: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/lowfer
>