Tom, On your mention of Silver solder, do you mean typical circuit board silver solder or the "real" silver solder, such as used on copper tubing in high pressure refrigeration systems? I used the "real" silver solder to solder 3/8" copper tubing to Stainless Steel Ground rods below ground level.
Jim - KR9U ____________________________________________ When I did AM broadcast work, we would pull solid wire out of all sorts of stations built in the 1920's and 30's in all types of soil. Unless it was actually cut, it would be good. In my own Ham stuff, I primarily use #16 bare copper bus (which is soft drawn) wire. It lasts longer than I ever keep a house unless physically cut. If I pull some up after several years in the ground, it just barely shows light surface corrosion. I install mine with a plow on a tractor. I can pull a six inch deep radial, or any depth I want, at a few MPH. I have never broken a #16 wire pulling it into the ground. I have never seen one fail from lightning. I personally would stay away from stranded copper, and would especially stay away from aluminum, steel, or steel cored wire (watch what you buy). Any solid copper #16 or larger, especially soft drawn, will last a lot longer than most of use ever will. I would not be afraid of anything solid copper and #16 or larger size. If you never plan on long term direct soil exposure, never plan on soldering it later for an alteration or repair without doing a lot of cleaning work, and never plan on silver soldering, stranded copper is also OK. I use stranded insulated #14 on my 40M 4 square stuff because it is surface wire. The aluminum wire I installed several years ago on that system is falling apart, but the insulated stranded copper is still good. _________________ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband _________________ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
