HF Radio Ground Repair Question

[Rick D]

removehtml]My copper ground foil runs under the battery box and I found the foil had been eaten away from some acid that seeped out of the box on to it (a whole other story). Anyway, that explains the lousy transmission. However, what is the preferred way to splice foil? A yard guy tore one part in half replacing the shaft seal bellows once. I soldered that section, but am not real satisfied how it came out. I'm wondering if I should fold the two pieces together and use a copper strip to clamp them together? Any suggestions? Don't even suggest replacing all the foil; I am not about to pull all the flooring up for the umteenth time. Rick D.Error: Error: expected [/URL], but found [/removehtml] instead[/removehtml]

 

[Gregg18047]

Solder

I see you didn't like your previous repair, but I think a clamp would be prone to mechanical failure from bouncing around. I'd fold like you said, but then solder by heating real good with a Bernzomatic torch and letting the solder flow.

 

[Bob Poff]

Bright and Shiney makes a good solder joint

If you have enough slack in the strap then I'd fold over about 1/4" on each loose end. Interlock the ends and solder with a torch.If you don't have enough to do that, add a short section of strap doing the same as above on either end.Before you fold and solder, use sandpaper to get the copper clean. You want it to be very bright and shiney. Getting it clean is key to ending up with a nice solder joint.Get the joint hot with the torch and hit it with some tinning flux. That will clean it some more, and leave you with a nice surface to flow the solder to.Use solid or rosin core solder. Not acid core.Better yet, see if a welding supply store will sell you just a few sticks of silver solder. Remember that you want the torch on the copper. Not the solder.Get the copper hot enough for the solder to freely flow on it's own.You should be able to work the solder like a paint brush on the joint.In a marine environment, I think that I would wire brush off the joint and paint it to keep it protected.At least that's how I do it in an AM radio station ground system.

 

[RobG]

One thing to add...

Excellent directions from Bob but one thing to add..be careful not to overheat the copper. Use just enough to get the solder to flow throughout the joint. Overheating it will burn away the flux and rapidly oxidize the copper where you'll have to start all over again.Good luck.

 

[Rick D]

Thanks, All; Great Recap...

As I was reading through, I first thought that's what I had done, why didn't it look good, then Rob made the point about not overheating it and it clicked; I'm sure that is exactly what I did. RD

 

[Brian D]

Good comments...

Rick, how much copper do you have down and where is it? I know yousaid you didn't want to replay it. I was just curious as to where the copper ground was located on your boat. Thanks

 

[Ross]

This copper foil seems to be quite thin. If that is true then

a 200 watt soldering iron will do the job.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

another option

RickI agree soldering the pieces is the preferable way to do it but would offer another option as soldering may be impracticable. You can do the same by folding over the ends with some dielectric paste sandwiched between them and fastened together with some copper screws or better yet, copper bolts and lock nuts. In either case, I doubt you'd notice any difference in resistance in the connections which would be easy to verify.How did you manage to make the keel bolt connection?

 

[Rick D]

The PO Had It Done, Don...

...and I have NO idea except that they hired a small kid or midget and held him by his ankles... Rick D.

 

[Brian D]

Wow...

Thanks Rick. I don't think I have keel bolts. At least I have never seen any.