[BC] Irons for silver soldering copper strap

[Jeff Welton]

Actually, in line splices aren't that bad - where the ends overlap, fold both up at a 90 degree angle so they are flush and have about 3" sticking up in the air.  Grab both straps near the end on both sides with needlenose pliers and roll them down (at least one and a half full turns) until you are against the bottom - try to keep the coil at about 1" dia and clamp it with vice grips.  Then slide a piece of wood or sacrificial aluminum underneath and hammer them flat in the middle, then remove the vice grips and hammer out the edges, making a sandwich.  After that, solder away!

Takes a bit more practice if both straps are already dressed in place - usually if you fold the strap back away from the direction you rolled it once the rolling is done, you get something that stays very flat.  If keeping it flat against the floor to prevent a trip hazard isn't an issue, you can also drill it and use copper bus bar to make a sandwich for a stronger mechanical bond (similar to what Polyphaser does on their cable entrance bulkhead grounds).

And y'all thought I only knew about transmitters! ;-)

Best,

Jeff Welton
Technical Sales Representative
Nautel 
Toll-free Tel:    1 877 662 8835 Ext. 127
International: +1 902 823 3900 Ext. 127
Mobile:  +1 902 489 1635
Fax:      +1 902 823 3183
 
www.nautel.com
 
Making Digital Radio Work. 
 

-----Original Message-----
From: broadcast-bounces at radiolists.net [mailto:broadcast-bounces at radiolists.net] On Behalf Of Mike McCarthy
Sent: Tuesday, October 16, 2007 09:55
To: Broadcasters' Mailing List
Subject: Re: [BC] Irons for silver soldering copper strap

The problem with that is you don't know there is a defective joint after a 
fault condition (using anything but silvaloy).  Then you're really in a bad 
position for next time with a potentially cold joint.  The joint will never 
have the same low resistance of the original joined connection until the 
solder is reflowed.  How may times do you check the joints after a major 
local strike?

I always fold one strap over the other in a T or angled connection, then 
tighten and flow the fold.  But that's very hard to do with an in-line 
splice.  So I'll try to bond both sides and "V" up the ends a little so I 
can flow some solder down the side.  I'll also punch some 1/4" holes in the 
strap to flow solder in the center of the strap.

MM