[BC] Counterpoise Ground System

[WFIFeng@aol.com]

In a message dated 09/19/2006 11:56:59 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
sbailey at nespower.com writes:

>    Thanks, that's what I needed to know.  I'm looking into using
>  copperweld, instead of bare copper. As Ron Nott put it, Copperweld has
>  no value to the drug lords, and does just as well as say a #10 or #6
>  solid copper wire.

As others have pointed out, the thieves won't know that it's not copper when 
they steal it. <:( Also, you'd have to be very careful installing it, not to 
nick it. One little break in the surface copper, and the steel inside will not 
only rust, you'll get the galvanic reaction of the dissimilar metals. IOW, it 
will corrode and break at that point. It works fine for wire antennas, like 
dipoles for Ham Radio use, but down near the ground (or buried) it's not going 
to last too long because of the risk of damage and subsequent corrosion.

Is it not possible to use a buried ground system there? That does tend to 
discourage the thieves. I heard a rumor of someone using barbed wire for their 
ground system because the theft was so frequent... but that may be urban legend.

Willie...