Boy. This just gets complicateder and complicateder.
I was all set to do my ground system and grounding radials with #6 wire,
and then in reading another treatise on grounding, I am told that this
is a major mistake because of the inductance which will cause lightning
to look for another route to ground. The PolyPhaser literature says
that what really should be used is minimum 1-1/2" flat copper strip, and
I have read another couple sources which repeat that, and say that if
wire is to be used, the minimum size should be 2/0.
The thing is: that kind of shoots my neat plan with the CADWelding of
the ground rods, unless one can CADWeld the copper strip. Also, the
copper strip is REALLY expensive. I think I am looking at around $400
for the amount I would need, and I wonder how long it would last
underground versus big wire; I would think a lot less long.
I recall reading something somewhere about "copper flashing." Sounds
like something that might be used in construction, and maybe on the same
principle, but cheaper than the PolyPhaser strip?
I might be back to brazing copper strip to ground rods instead of the
pyrotechnics, after all. I have a little common sense voice in the back
of my head that says wire would probably be OK if I get big wire, but
2/0?
This system is certain to take lightning strikes, so I do want to do it
right. Anybody got some ideas or data on this dilemma?
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