Copper ground plate lighting electrode

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by captainwireman

CAUTION!
On the IACS Conductivity scale copper rates at 100%
Phosphor bronze comes in at 15%

In the TE-4 Lightening Protection PDF they caution using standing rigging because of the fittings. Mine just happen to be phosphor bronze.

"Sintered" bronze, not phosphor bronze is what I referred to.

[Frankly]

Most of the bronze alloys are not in the same class as copper when it comes to electrical conductivity. I was always amazed that silicone bronze is 95% copper but something like 5 times the resistance. Copper bolts are kind of hard to find so you just have to make up by increasing the size when using the bronzes. Also in the case of lightning, we are dealing with a high frequency current so skin effect comes into play big time.


Those 4 half inch bolts I used on the ground plate were not because the large forces involved but to try to keep the impedance path to the seawater as low as practical. Often wondered if those 5/16 SB bolts that come with a Dynaplate are not part of the reason they sometimes fail when they tangle with a real shot from Zeus. Particularly if you just connect to the single gold plated one.


Like much of life "you pays your money and you take your chances".