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Re: [TowerTalk] Lightning protection questions.

To: Tom Rauch <w8ji@contesting.com>,"Michael Tope" <W4EF@dellroy.com>, <K7LXC@aol.com>,"\"Dudley Chapman\"" <chief@thechief.com>,"TowerTalk" <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Lightning protection questions.
From: Jim Lux <jimlux@earthlink.net>
Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2004 11:45:33 -0700
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
At 02:16 PM 7/27/2004 -0400, Tom Rauch wrote:

> What alloy are you using, Tom. Most of the stuff you can
buy at
> home box stores is for plumbing applications (96%Tin, 4%
Silver).


I've been intending to pull and invoice and look, but welding supply houses sell the correct materials. For small quantities (such as attaching taps on tubing coils for tank circuts) we used to buy solder from sources like Granger and McMaster Carr.

When I eventually reorder some, I'll make a note of the
exact material. The material I use is barely melted with
Mapp gas, and uses a white paste flux. I'm sure it is also
used in refrigeration applications.


73 Tom

Just looking through page 3163 of McMaster-Carr...
Looks like there are cadmium containing and non-cad containing varieties. Antenna work is probably outside in good ventilation, so the cad-containing kinds are probably ok.


The silver content ranges from 35-60%. Since you're paying for the silver, you probably want the low silver, high copper alloys (so called High Fill) 35% Ag, 26 Cu, 21 Zn, 18 Cd. Melts at 1125 to 1295...

The higher silver alloys (like 45%) melt a bit lower 1125 to 1145, and aren't much more expensive.

Then, there's things like silver/copper/phosphorus blends for brazing copper... 15/80/5 or 5/89/6... they melt at temps up to 1500F.

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See: http://www.mscomputer.com for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless Weather Stations", and lot's more. Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with any questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.

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