Grounding Straps

[Master Chief]

© 292 Radio Shop

 

[W5LZ]

Some more of that "incessant babbling", so don't pay much attention.
I guess that's why all those 'old' copies aren't thrown away when a new one comes out, huh? Cuz sometimes there are those little 'jewels' that the 'new' edition skipped/lost, inadvertently? Naw, that can't be it.
- 'Doc

Doctor of "C&L" ~AND~ "IB". Dang, gotta new degree!

 

[freecell]

"If you had paid attention you would have seen that it wasn't 'simple' oxydation, or sulfation I was talking about.

you used the words corrosion and dissimilar metals.

corrosion:
n 1: a state of DETERIORATION IN METALS caused by OXIDATION or CHEMICAL ACTION 2: erosion by chemical action [syn:corroding, erosion]

furthermore, sulfuric acid is a primary constituent in the make up of acid rain. sulfation of metals occurs when they are subjected to this acid, whatever the source.

so what the hell are you talking about? while you're at it please feel free to elaborate and explain to all of us how i'm confusing, bewildering and stupefying you (or anyone else) with my rather articulate explanations and just how it is that i'm obscuring some truth here or being "unclear" by muddling. perplexing or clouding the subject under discussion. obfuscation my ass. that's your forte and modus operandi, not mine.

 

[W5LZ]

freecell,
Taking off with someone else's idea would be 'hijacking' a thread, now wouldn't it? I don't really wanna do 'dat, and certainly try not too every chance I get.
Tracing some of the ideas expressed on this and other sites just might amaze you as to their origin.
- 'Doc

'Caelex meus inibrians!'

 

[psycho]

Now for the part 'they' don't tell you about using braid as a ground strap. Even if it's 'tinned', the flexing can and will cause the braid to wear it's self out. That 'tinning' also doesn't provide much protection against all the pollution/acid rain/whatever that you normally have in your particular area. (And there is more than you might think. Ever though about why the wiring on most (if not all) new cars is insulated? Or why any exposed metal is either painted or coated with something now'a'days?)
I know my other posts in this thread sound like I don't think braid is such a good idea, but that's not exactly 'all' of it. A strap of some kind is a good idea. ****** isn't exactly the only metal that can be used though, and not just in 'braid' form. Even aluminum will work just fine, it's just more difficult to 'work' with because of the same thing, surface corrosion.
If it ain't one thing, it's another, isn't it? So, what's the 'cure'? The simplest answer is to coat the strap with something that will protect it from all the 'bad' stuff. The not so simple part of that is finding some coating that doesn't deteriorate when flexed. Which aside from being a little more expensive, just means one more step in the process (guess length, cut, coat, attach. Goto step one.). Using ****** flashing sort of does away with that extra step (key word is "sort'of"). It'll still deteriorate but not quite as fast as braid will, depending on thickness of the flashing, and using 1/4" ****** strap is really getting rediculous, right?
Not all, but most of the information found in the 'Handbook' and other places is sort of 'old'. MOst of it has been around since someone tried putting his sparkgap transmitter in his model 'T'. That doesn't mean it isn't good advice, just that it could be 'up-dated' a little bit to contend with what the world has become.
- 'Doc

PS - Wanna try an experiment? Cut a short section of ****** braid, lay it near a window in your shack (that isn't totally sealed) or near where your coax goes through the wall/floor. See how long it takes to loose it's flexibility and/or to rot from atmospheric moisture/stuff. Not over night, but sooner than you might expect. Then again, it may just be Oklahoma...
(A lot of that 'stuff' comes north from Texas, you know.)

I have had ground straps on my 96 F150 for 11 years and the straps are just fine. BB and all the big strappers around here use grounding braid so it must not be that much of an issue.
It would be comical to use flashing on a hood or trunk.

 

[llawen]

It worked!!!!!!!! I went and got the grounding straps and grounded the tail pipe to the chasis, grounded the cab and all rf noise gone!! Thanks for all the input!

 

[Chainsawgang]

Where did you pick up the grounding straps ?