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Re: [TowerTalk] Ground Rods

To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Ground Rods
From: David Gilbert <xdavid@cis-broadband.com>
Date: Tue, 30 Nov 2010 13:59:28 -0700
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>

Who said bolted joints between tower sections were electrically 
unreliable?  They generally have large surface area, handle a LOT of 
current, are usually of the same metal, and are held together with bolts 
even if the connection between them is marginal.  You should see the 
monster plates and several large bolts for each joint that hold my tower 
legs together.

Contrast that with a small area mechanical connection between wire and 
ground rod that would otherwise be susceptible to galvanic corrosion 
between dissimilar metals and fall part, or have high enough resistance 
that they would be more accurately described as fuses.  The exothermic 
welds are MUCH more robust, and if you ever saw one you'd know that.

The whole idea is to have a much more reliable and low impedance 
connection to ground so that lightning will have less opportunity to 
show you what it can do inside your home.  It has nothing to do with 
something "creep(ing) into specifications just because it is possible to 
do them."

Dave   AB7E



On 11/30/2010 1:40 PM, JoeCoolDXer wrote:
> It's interesting how certain requirements creep into specifications possibly 
> just because it's possible to do them.
> Recognize if lightning gets into a home it seems to have no trouble traveling 
> through screwed
> and friction (plug-in) connections, sharp bends, and ultimately zapping lots 
> of stuff.
>
> If CADwelds and OneShots are important in ground rod connections, why then, 
> for example, is it not also required
> to weld all those electrically unreliable bolted joints between tower 
> sections...??
>
> Don N7EF
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