‰  NOW 25 WPM  ‰  TEXT IS FROM AUGUST 2008 QST  PAGES 62, 63 AND 85  ‰

ANTENNA, FOR EXAMPLE.  IN THE CASE OF A LIGHTNING PROTECTION GROUND, IT MAY
BE A VERY DIFFERENT STORY.  LETS START WITH THE GROUND RODS.  UNLESS THE
SOIL IS EXTREMELY CONDUCTIVE, GROUND RODS DONT DO VERY MUCH AS AN RF GROUND
COMPARED TO RADIALS.  THEY CAN HELP WITH THE LOWER FREQUENCY COMPONENTS OF
LIGHTNING, HOWEVER.  GROUND RODS WORK BEST HAVING THE MINIMUM POSSIBLE
RESISTANCE TO GROUND.  STAINLESS HAS MORE RESISTANCE THAN COPPER, OR COPPER
PLATED STEEL HENCE, COPPER IS OFFICIALLY BETTER.  STILL, THE COPPER
CORRODES WITH TIME, SO AT SOME POINT STAINLESS MAY ACTUALLY BE MORE
EFFECTIVE.  THE OTHER ISSUE IS THAT CONNECTIONS OF COPPER WIRE TO THE
STAINLESS WILL BE TOUGHER TO MAKE AS LONG TERM CONNECTIONS AND MAY SUFFER
FROM ELECTROLYTIC CORROSION OVER TIME.  RADIALS ARE INTENDED TO MAKE
DISTRIBUTED CONTACT WITH THE SOIL.  IF THEY ARE INSULATED, THEY CANT DO
‰  FROM PAGE 85  ‰
DJ4PT/357 OE2SCM/338 JH1QAX/341 EA6NB/342 N6JV/348 DJ6NI/359 JA2IVK/348
‰  END OF 25 WPM TEXT  ‰  QST DE W1AW  ƒ