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Re: [TowerTalk] Copper strap corrosion prevention

To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Copper strap corrosion prevention
From: Pat Barthelow <aa6eg@hotmail.com>
Reply-to: aa6eg@k6bj.org
Date: Sun, 1 Feb 2009 20:53:05 -0800
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
 
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@k6bj.org   Skype: sparky599Founder, Executive 
Producer,  "Echoes of Apollo"


http://www.jamesburgdish.org "The most exciting phrase to hear in Science, the 
one that heralds new discoveries,  is not "Eureka, I have found it!"    
but:"That's funny..."  ----Isaac Asimov







> 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?>
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